


Cat Nipped

by Akira_of_the_Twilight



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe- Shifters, Avengers Tower, Complicated Relationships, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, SHIELD Facility, Thin Traces of Plot, Were-Creatures, Werecat Tony, character focused, very little plot, werewolf bucky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-05-13 08:33:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 71,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5701948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akira_of_the_Twilight/pseuds/Akira_of_the_Twilight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Steve,” a bit of anger leaked into Bucky’s voice, so he paused to cull it back. “Tony is a werecat, and you really want the two of us to meet?”</p>
<p>Steve sighed, his shoulder dropping. “Bucky…”</p>
<p>“No!” Bucky bit back a bark. “Steve, I’m a werewolf, in case you have forgotten. Canine weres and feline weres do not get along well.”</p>
<p>“I’m a werecanine and Tony and I get along fine.”</p>
<p>“That’s not what you were saying last week.” </p>
<p>--</p>
<p>When cats and dogs collide there is bound to be trouble.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [German Translation](http://www.fanfiktion.de/s/5841a1400005be716514417/1/Cat-Nipped) by [Mystery7](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystery7/pseuds/Mystery7)

“A werecat?” Bucky repeated, voice deadpanned.

Steve scratched the back of his neck.

“A werecat,” Bucky repeated more firmly, trying to get it through Steve’s thick skull what a terrible idea it was to have him meet Tony without entering a shouting match with Steve.

“Yes,” Steve hesitated to admit.

“Steve,” a bit of anger leaked into Bucky’s voice, so he paused to cull it back. “Tony is a werecat, and you really want the two of us to meet?”

Steve sighed, his shoulder dropping. “Bucky…”

“No!” Bucky bit back a bark. “Steve, I’m a werewolf, in case you have forgotten. Canine weres and feline weres do not get along well.”

“I’m a werecanine and Tony and I get along fine.”

“That’s not what you were saying last week.”

Steve’s cheeks pinked. “Okay, our relationship isn’t perfect, but we’re friends, and he is part of the team. You two are going to have to meet at some point, and you’ve had a lot of good weeks recently, and Tony has some free time today to come down to the facility. It’s just going to be for an hour.”

“You’ve never seen a dog maul a cat to death, have you, Steve?”

“Bucky!” Steve snapped, his blue eyes turning steely. “You’re not some wild animal that’s going to attack Tony, and I’ve made it perfectly clear to Tony that he is not allowed to bait you. Just be on your best behavior. I know you can do this. You never had trouble in the past.”

Bucky gritted his teeth. That was the problem: Bucky wasn’t the same person he was in the past. He always had to remind Steve of that, but either because he was just too stubborn to let go of the past or because he truly believed Bucky was a lot more like his old self than Bucky thought, Steve always reminded Bucky of what he had once been and argued Bucky could be that way again.

Bucky’s stomach churned with dread and doubt. “Well, it will be Tony’s funeral if something goes wrong. Unless he’s got that fancy metal suit on for protection.”

“Bucky!”

* * *

Bucky sat in the front office of the SHIELD facility. He shifted in discomfort in the overly plush chair that did not suit the military atmosphere of the place. Although, he supposed, even for military the facility was rather grandiose and upscale. It certainly was a step up from Hydra headquarters, but then again, a dumpster filled with used needles would be better than Hydra headquarters.

A receptionist/guard manned the front desk. She stapled papers together and stamped documents in a tirelessly rhythm that relaxed Bucky.

What little ease he gained though was soon lost as he heard Steve’s voice nearing him, accompanied by a voice Bucky only knew through news reports and a couple of videos Natasha had taken on her phone of Tony Stark.

“Listen, I’m just saying, it may not be the best time for this. I am stressed, Steve. Look at this.” There was some shuffling. “I am not in control.”

“Please, Tony. You’re already here, and Bucky has his own reservations about this meeting. If you cancel today, you two might not meet until the next big attack on a city or town.”

“That’s how you and I met, and that turned out fine.”

“Tony,” Steve reprimanded.

“Fine, fine. Just don’t blame me when this explodes in our faces.”

“What are you—”

“Trying not to make it too obvious.”

“It’s still very obvious.”

“Shut up, Steve.”

The door opened with a swish, revealing Steve in his Commander uniform and a shorter, dark haired man in gray dress trousers, a matching striped vest, a rolled up white sleeve shirt, a tacky furry belt, purple shades, and a gray fedora.

The fedora caught Bucky’s attention.

He may have never met Tony before, but he’d seen enough pictures of the billionaire to know the man didn’t run around wearing hats.

“Bucky.” Steve grinned and waved Bucky over to Tony. “Meet Tony.”

Bucky slowly rose from his chair. He reminded himself to smile—normal people smiled when meeting others for the first time—and extended his hand in greeting.

Tony turned slightly away from Bucky, eyeing Bucky’s hand while keeping his own shoved in his pockets. “I don’t like being handed things.”

Bucky’s nerves twinged with irritation. He didn’t even want to shake Tony’s hand, but at least he had offered. “I’m not handing you anything. It’s called a handshake, dumbass.”

Tony’s head snapped and he hissed, showing off canines that were slightly enlongated.

Bucky growled, the hackles on his neck rising.

Steve stepped in between them and put a hand on each of their chests. “You two just couldn’t make it through the greetings could you? Bucky, stop growling, and Tony, put your fangs away.”

Bucky cut off his growl, but grumbled. His instincts warred inside him. His decades in Hydra combined with Steve’s leadership caused a part of himself to curl up internally and back down, but another part of him recognized his wolf self as stronger and more battled-hardened than Steve’s Labrador self and refused to show submission to Steve. It didn’t help that despite his foggy memory, Bucky could vividly see a skinny Steve in his mind’s eye and with it the word: “Pup.”

“Bucky,” Steve warned.

Bucky had started growling again.

Bucky cut off the noise. He glared at Tony, who had snapped his mouth shut, but his fangs were still poking out from his lip.

Bucky scowled and pointed at the feline teeth. “Maybe I wouldn’t growl so much if Stark here would put the teeth away.”

Steve’s brow furrowed. He looked to Tony, who had turned his face away.

“Tony,” Steve kept his voice calm, with a hint of reprimand. “Remember your promise.”

A short, crisp laugh escaped Tony. “Remembering things has never been a problem of mine, Steve,” his voice was distorted due to his fangs still poking out. “Although, it seems like yours is a struggle, but I suppose that can’t be helped since you’re what? Ninety years old? Probably more, now that I think about it.”

A deep vibrating growl rumbled through Bucky. That was no way to talk to one’s teammate or leader. Before Steve could stop him, Bucky lashed out and seized Tony’s forearm. He yanked the appendage forward, freeing Tony’s hand from his pocket, and forcing Tony to stumble into Bucky’s chest if he didn’t want to fall flat on his face.

The fur belt along Tony’s waist unfurled to reveal a tail, but Bucky was too pissed off to do more than note it.

“Listen, bud, go ahead and act like an asshole around me; hell knows I deserves a fuckin’ ton of hate after the shit I did, but don’t go treatin’ Steve like crap just cause you got some fancy silver spoon shoved up your ass.”

Tony jerked his head back, and the fedora fell to the wayside, revealing two black triangle-shaped ears atop Tony’s head. The ears flattened low on Tony’s skull. Tony tugged on his arm to break Bucky’s hold, but Bucky would’ve been able to hold Tony even without the super serum in his body.

“Let me go,” Tony’s voice was gravelly with a growl. He stared defiantly into Bucky’s eyes.

“Bucky, let him go,” Steve commanded.

Bucky couldn’t; Tony was challenging him.

Neither one blinked as they’d stared each other down, bodies tense and ready for a fight.

Steve thrust his hand between their eyes, breaking Bucky’s spell of concentration.

Bucky turned his sneer on Steve, but Steve ignored it and instead reached for Bucky’s hand on Tony’s arm. Steve went to pry Bucky’s fingers off. Bucky growled and Steve growled back, making it clear if Bucky continued to fight him, Steve would soon get physical.

Bucky was tempted—that part of him that wasn’t ready to accept Steve as a leader was chomping at the bit for a physical altercation, but Bucky pushed down those animalistic desires and beliefs. He released Tony and took a step back.

Steve’s shoulder drooped just a tad, and he turned his attention to Tony, who was massaging his arm. “You okay, Tony?”

“Let me check with my doctor and see,” Tony snapped, tail swishing.

“Tony,” Steve began, but one angry look from Tony was enough to silence him.

Determining that Steve wasn’t going to lecture him, Tony lowered his tail and pushed up his sleeve to examine his forearm.

His claws were out.

Bucky snorted tersely. “Really? Put the claws away, I’m not going to attack you.”

Tony laughed loud and bitterly. “Says the guy who grabbed me.”

“Both of you,” Steve reprimanded. “I understand things have not started off well, but could you please push past it for five minutes and give each other a chance?”

“Tell that to the guy who thinks he’s too good to shake someone’s hand.”

Tony held up his claws. “Maybe I didn’t want to scratch you, idiot? Or make you feel threatened or intimidated?”

Bucky scoffed.

Tony’s ear flicked back and his lip curled up. He flicked his tail and turned his back on Bucky and Steve. “You know what? I have a hundred different things to do.” He scooped up his fedora and put it back on his head. “Call me when you get whatever chip you have on your shoulder off.”

Tony stormed out.

“Tony!” Steve gave chase.

_Good riddance_ , Bucky thought. He plopped down on one of the chairs and waited for Steve’s return. It only took a few minutes for Steve to reappear out of breath and with his chest heaving.

“I thought I was the one who was supposed to start fights?” Steve huffed.

Bucky frowned. “Did you chase his car or something?”

“Yeah, and I almost had him, but he swerved and I lost him.”

Bucky resisted the urge to gape. “Why would you do a crazy thing like that?”

“Because what happened wasn’t his fault, and I wanted to make certain that he was okay and see if there was any way I could convince him to try and talk to you again.”

“Not his fault?” Bucky echoed. “Did you not see him acting like an asshole?”

“He’s stressed out, Bucky.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t excuse him from being a—”

“He’s stuck in mid-shift.”

“He’s not—” Bucky cut himself off at the memory of Tony’s tail wrapped around his waist like a belt. He recalled how odd he had found Tony’s hat because the man wasn’t photographed often with hats. Then he thought long and hard about Tony’s claws. He hadn’t been focused on them at the time, but if he rewound his memory, he was eighty-percent certain that Tony’s claws had been out as Bucky had yanked on Tony’s arm—probably before.

The conversation Bucky had overheard between Steve and Tony replayed in his head.

_“Listen, I’m just saying, it may not be the best time for this. I am stressed, Steve. Look at this….I am not in control.”_

_Shit_.

Tony had been in mid-shift when he walked through those doors.

Bucky groaned and buried his face in his palm. “I’m guess it wasn’t by choice.”

“Considering he hates his full shift and barely tolerates his mid-shift form…” Steve made a show of nodding and put on a fake smile. “I think you may be on to something.”

“I didn’t know,” Bucky grumbled, feeling like a real heel.

“Yeah, well…” Steve sunk into the chair next to Bucky. “I probably should have just let Tony go home when he told me, but I pushed.”

“You could have also told me.”

“He clearly didn’t want you to know. If he had a choice, no one would know.”

Bucky frowned. “He really hates his were-self that much?”

“It’s…too cute for him. When you’re the big and powerful CEO of a major company, having the alternate form of a domestic cat that is barely bigger than a kitten really ruins your image, according to him.”

Bucky turned to Steve in shock. “He’s barely bigger than a kitten?”

“Not the point, Bucky.”

“Can he sit on my hand?” Bucky demanded to know.

“Bucky!”

“Steve, I have to know. What if he shrinks down in battle for some reason? The armor malfunctions, and he needs to make himself a smaller target? I need to know.”

“No, you’re just dicking around now.”

Bucky grinned. “If I don’t laugh, I’m just going to keep feeling like an asshole.”

“You know what else is a cure for feeling like an asshole? Apologizing.”

“Oh, shut up, Mom.” Bukcy turned away from Steve.

Steve swatted him on the arm. “Do it.”

“I will. Jeez. I may be part canine, but I am not the breed who goes chasing after cars, unlike some.”

Steve glared.

Bucky smirked.

* * *

Two weeks later, Bucky was standing in the elevator and headed up to Tony’s penthouse with Steve by his side.

His nerves and muscles thrummed under his skin. It was only decades of control that kept him from going into a mid-shift due to stress. He did his best to stare straight ahead and maintain a pose of nonchalance.

It didn’t help that it felt like a hundred set of eyes were watching him.

The elevator door slid open, revealing the ritziest place Bucky had ever seen, besides a couple of mansions he’d visited during his time as Hydra’s asset. The hairs on the back of his neck rose and his fists clenched. This was so far from his territory, he wanted to beeline it out of there or start marking the place up so he could claim it as his own. He knew neither would be appreciated by Steve.

“Tony?” Steve hollered as he waltzed out of the elevator like it was his home.

It wasn’t. Bucky detected no traces of Steve in the penthouse, not even a whiff that would suggest he visited often.

“Tony, I know you’re here. FRIDAY confirmed your location.”

“I’m donating her to a community college,” Tony shouted from a hallway off to the side.

A few seconds later, Tony emerged from the hallway.

Welding gloves covered his hands and he was in a blue hoodie that hid the top of his head. The hoodie pooled below Tony’s waist, concealing any tail that might be protruding out.

He was still stuck in mid-shift.

For a moment, Bucky felt alarm for Tony. It wasn’t a good indication for the man’s mental health if he’d been stuck in mid-shift for the last two weeks.

A voice in the back of Bucky’s mind quickly swept away that worry. After all, who had said anything about Tony being stuck in his mid-shift form for two weeks? For all Bucky knew, Tony had slipped out of it shortly after his visit to the new SHIELD facility, and had recently slipped back into it.

“So to what do I owe the pleasure?” Tony asked, eyeing Bucky warily.

Steve nudged Bucky.

Bucky resisted a scowl. “I came to apologize.”

Tony’s gaze turned sharp and zeroed-in on Steve for a beat before swinging back to Bucky. “I really don’t need to hear some apology that Steve is forcing you to say.”

Bucky scowled. “Does it look like he’s got me pinned down and is moving my lips for me? No. I’m here of my own free will, Stark, and I’m sorry I was such an ass to you.”

“You don’t sound like it.”

“Are you always this difficult?”

Tony smirked. He purred. “I’m a cat; it’s in my nature.”

Bucky straightened, twice as alert than he’d been a second ago.

Had Tony just flirted with him?

Tony turned and waved Bucky and Steve away. “Really, I don’t care. You’re not the first person to treat me like shit, Barnes. Just keep it off the battlefield and everything will be fine.”

“Tony,” Steve started, but Tony cut him off by raising his hand for silence.

“I get it, Steve, and I really don’t care. I’m swamped with SI, Avengers, and SHIELD stuff right now. Thank you both for the apology, but I really have to get back to work.” Tony marched back into the hallway, vanishing before their eyes.

Bucky turned to Steve. “Did he purr at me?”

Steve flushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “He does that sometimes. He likes to throw people off with it.”

Bucky blinked. “Shit. It worked.”

* * *

The next time Bucky saw Tony it was on the battlefield.

Bucky was impressed; he’d be more impressed if Tony could actually follow orders, but Bucky couldn’t deny that the man packed a hard punch against their enemies, and more than once his brains saved the day. He may have even gotten a chuckle or two out of Bucky with a few witty comments and a couple of good-humored jabs at Steve over the comms.

The battlefield was pretty much the only time Bucky saw Tony after his visit to the tower. That was until one day he caught a whiff of the werecat wandering around SHIELD.

Bucky’s hackles rose. His instincts were torn. He’d spent enough time on the field with Tony to recognize him as pack, but this was not Tony’s territory. What was he doing here?

Realizing there was only one way to get his answer, Bucky followed the scent trail to the labs.

Bucky perked up when he saw Tony once again covered head to toe in a hoodie, baggy jeans, and gloves. He gesticulated as he spoke to Fury. Tony pointed at one of the machines in the lab and Fury frowned. After some more talking, Tony shook his head and marched toward the exit.

Bucky took a step back so he wouldn’t get smacked in the face when Tony came storming out.

Tony jumped in his skin when he saw Bucky and the corner of one of his ears popped out from his hoodie. He was wearing sunglasses. Bucky hadn’t paid much mind to them before, but now that he was face to face with Tony, he realized that the shades were hiding silted eyes.

For a moment, Tony just stared at Bucky. A second later, Tony was lounging against the doorframe and smirking up at Bucky. “Hi Mr. Big Bad Wolf. You spying on me?” he purred.

“You’re not distracting me this time,” Bucky stated.

Tony purred louder. He sashayed past Bucky, stroking Bucky’s cheek. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

Bucky snatched Tony’s wrist.

Tony froze, clearly not expecting Bucky to grab him.

“You’re stuck again,” Bucky stated.

“Very perceptive of you.” Tony’s fingers curled, and his claws threatened to break through the leather of his gloves.

“Sometimes transforming into your animal self helps,” Bucky said.

Tony chuckled. “If I could slip into my animal form, I’d do it. Just not here.” Tony yanked his wrist out from Bucky’s hold. He sauntered away, and Bucky let him.

* * *

“He is a strange one,” Natasha, a jorogumo, said as she plucked a bottle of vodka from the liquor cabinet.

“Grab me a bottle of something too,” Clint requested from the couch. He made grabby hands at Natasha.

Natasha grabbed another bottle of vodka and settled next to Clint on the couch, tucking herself against his side, a move that had convinced Bucky they were mates the first time he had seen them huddled together, but the two were merely friends.

“Also, you can say that again about Tony Stark,” Clint tacked on.

Bucky nodded. “He’s stressed a lot.”

Clint wobbled his hand. “He doesn’t act like it, but considering how often I’ve seen him stuck in mid-shift recently, I guess so.”

Natasha nodded and opened her bottle. “He’s very good at hiding himself. He knows what people expect of him and plays to that.” Natasha met Bucky’s eyes, a glint in her gaze.

_Just like me_ , Natasha silently communicated.

The only difference was, Natasha’s survival had depended on her acting skills, making her mask almost impossible to break, whereas Tony’s could be broken if pushed correctly.

“Did Steve tell you that when Tony rebuilt his tower he had designed it with rooms in mind for us?” Clint asked.

Bucky perked up. “He didn’t.”

Clint nodded. “Nice rooms too. Floors, really. All of us had our own living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and there was even a communal space.”

Bucky frowned. “But you all moved here.”

“We’re used to SHIELD,” Natasha said. “And Steve preferred to be here. So did Sam and Wanda. Vision had no preference, and Rhodey thought living with Tony might be too distracting, so he agreed to stay here. He visits Tony often though.”

“But he built you a home.” Perhaps it was Bucky’s wolf instincts talking, but as much as SHIELD had become his territory, it was not a home—not in the true sense of the word. It was where he slept and ate. It was where he trained and where he relaxed on occasion—as he was doing right then—but it was no more a home than the barracks had been in World War II. What Tony had offered sounded a lot more like a home.

“Yeah, but who wants to live with just, Stark? Besides, he’s part feline. Feline types prefer solitude. It’s nice that he offered, but he probably would have been annoyed with us after a few days.”

Bucky frowned. He wasn’t so sure about that. With everyone and everything vying for Tony’s attention, it didn’t seem like Tony had the time to waste on building everyone a home in order to extend an insincere offer.

The thought unsettled Bucky.

* * *

 

Bucky did not like Loki.

The egomaniac had returned to Earth to claim it as his own again. Not only had he brought along some more alien friends, but he’d prepared with a spell that had forced all of the shifters on the team to go into animal form. That left Thor, Wanda, Clint, and Vision as the only ones unaffected, while Steve, Bucky, Sam, and Natasha had to switch their battle strategies around.

Loki still wasn’t a match for them.

Thor with the help of some SHIELD agents cuffed and locked Loki away, along with some of Loki’s new associates.

There were still aliens on the loose, but they weren’t nearly as dangerous as the first alien army Loki had brought to Earth. They were vicious, but not very bright. Also, very small—they came up to Thor’s knees— and had bird beaks on their faces, which made them easy to spot.

As the pack prepared to go on a manhunt for the remaining aliens, Vision paused and looked around. “I do not believe I have seen Tony since Loki cast his spell.”

“Shit,” Clint cursed, “I’m so used to him taking off right after battle, that I didn’t think about it.” Clint turned to Thor and tapped him on the chest. “You mind giving me a lift to the tallest building around here? I should be able to spot his armor.”

“Easily.” Thor scooped Clint up like he was a damsel and swung his hammer. The two took off into the sky.

Steve barked.

Bucky snapped his head in Steve’s direction.

Sam in his falcon form fluttered onto the pavement.

Steve let out a quick series of noises that translated simply into: “Find Stark.”

Bucky nodded and took off down the street.

Sam’s shadow flew overhead.

Bucky huffed. With Clint and Sam’s sharp eyes the two of them were sure to find Tony in seconds.

Bucky almost questioned Steve’s decision to send him out to search for Tony when a soft smell skimmed across Bucky’s nose. Bucky skidded to a halt and sniffed. It was faint, but he smelled cat, oil, coffee, and Tony’s natural musk to the east.

Bucky lifted his head.

Sam was circling an area to the west, and Clint and Thor were headed in the same direction.

Bucky checked the scent again to be certain, but there was no mistaking it: Tony was in the opposite direction of where the others were looking.

Growling to himself, Bucky ran down the street, sniffing every so often to make sure he was on the correct path.

He was right on top of the smell when he heard the sound of garbage cans being banged around and a hiss.

He also smelled the sharp and sour smell of the aliens.

Bucky rushed around the corner into a narrow alleyway where two of the aliens were had cornered a tiny black cat with a white spot on its chest.

The aliens snatched at the cat with their talon like fingers.

The cat scooted farther back against the brick building’s wall and swatted at the aliens.

Bucky growled loud and low.

The aliens bounced and spun, chirping in surprise at Bucky’s arrival.

Bucky unsheathed his claws and padded the ground as he growled again.

The aliens ran.

Bucky jumped and tackled one to the ground. He sank his teeth into the soft face of their neck and ripped out the vital organs there. The body jerked as the last of the alien’s life was drained from it.

Bucky snort and spat out the foul taste of the alien’s blood.

The cat growled.

Bucky flipped his ears back and forth and turned to look at the cat. Large amber eyes stared unblinkingly at Bucky. The cat wasn’t just tiny; it was kitten-sized, just as Steve had described Tony.

Bucky stepped toward the cat and sniffed.

Yup, Tony.

Tony’s frame trembled as he hissed at Bucky.

Bucky woofed and approached Tony, ignoring Tony’s warning.

Tony jumped and swatted, scratching Bucky’s nose.

Bucky yelped and jumped back. He growled and whirled on Tony.

Tony: who had fallen and couldn’t get up because his front left paw was bent wrong.

Shit. No wonder Tony was lashing out. With his feline brain dominant, Tony wasn’t going to let any potential predator near him.

Grumbling, Bucky sank down to his belly and scooted across the ground.

Tony hissed again, but made no move to strike Bucky.

When Bucky got close enough, he bent his head down and snuffled the top of Tony’s head, trying to show he meant no harm.

Tony meowed pitifully.

Bucky snorted.

Silly pack mate. Too scared and too angry to recognize a pack member when one was right in front of them.

Bucky curled himself around Tony and waited for the furious fuzz ball to calm down and stop shaking. He thought it wouldn’t take long, but Tony surprised him by continuing to tremble. He wouldn’t even lean against Bucky. He’d just lay there and meowed softly.

Bucky didn’t like it. He barely spent any time with Tony, and he knew the way Tony was acting now was nothing like him, even if his animal side was at the forefront of his mind.

Bucky snuffled Tony again.

Tony purred.

Taking that as a good sign, Bucky decided now was as good as ever to take Tony back to the pack.

Carefully and daintily, Bucky picked Tony up by the nape of his neck.

Tony meowed in protest and squirmed, but Bucky paid him no mind. He stood up and walked the streets back to where he’d last seen his pack.

A shadow the shape of a falcon flew overhead and followed him back to where SHIELD agents had set up temporary medical tents.

Bucky pushed open one of the tents and looked around. He spotted an empty cot and jumped into it, taking Tony with him.

He curled up then gently set Tony down against his side.

Tony flattened his ears and made a swat for Bucky’s nose, but didn’t move from the spot.

One of the medical personnel looked up from helping a civilian and jumped in surprise at Bucky’s presence.

Bucky growled and the medical attendant raced off, calling for assistance.

Five minutes later, Maria Hill walked in.

The woman took one glance at Bucky and Tony, and knew in an instant what was going on. She crouched low to Bucky’s eye level without looking him in the eye directly. “Your pack mate needs medical attention. We can wait a little longer to see if Loki’s magic wears off, but someone is going to have to look at him.”

Bucky growled.

“You can continue to guard him, just don’t bite off anyone’s hands.” Her eyes drifted to the metal leg connected to Bucky.

Many were shocked when first seeing the enchanted prosthetic. It wasn’t just a finely crafted piece of technology. Hydra had paid a witch heavily to enchant it so it would transform into a leg when he took on his wolf form.

Bucky barked, warning the woman to stop staring at him.

Maria’s gaze snapped away from the leg and she straightened. “In a half hour, I’ll send in someone who is familiar with cats.”

Bucky dipped his head in understanding.

“Good.” Maria marched out of the tent.

Tony pawed at Bucky’s side.

Bucky turned his head to what Tony wanted.

Tony shoved his hind foot into Bucky’s face.

Ungrateful pack mate.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone take a moment to thank [Towaneko](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Towaneko) for beta reading this chapter. This chapter wouldn't have been posted for a few more days if not for Towaneko, so send Towa your love. 
> 
> Also, thank you, everyone! Your positive feedback has been amazing and I am still stunned by all of it.

Cat Tony nibbled on Bucky’s flesh fingers.

“Knock it off,” Bucky grumbled, but kept his hand curled around Tony’s small frame.

Tony nipped Bucky’s thumb.

Bucky blew a loose strand of hair out of his face.

“He’s still not back to human form?” Steve entered the emptied out medical tent. All of the patients had either been cleared to go home or had been carted off to the nearest hospital.

Bucky pointedly looked down at the tiny cat in his lap then up at Steve. “Gosh, Stevie, I just don’t know. Tony always likes to bite me when he’s in his human form, and he’s so tiny too.”

Tony bit down hard.

“Ow!” Bucky yanked his hand away, and Tony fell face first across Bucky’s knee.

Steve winced and hissed in sympathy. Bucky thought the sympathy was for him, but a moment later Steve was crouched in front of Bucky and looking Tony over. “You okay, Tony? You didn’t injure your paw more, did you?”

Tony growled, his chin resting on Bucky’s knee as he glared at Steve.

Bucky shielded Tony’s face with his palm. “He’s not a big fan of having others so close to him in this form.”

Steve blinked and looked up at Bucky. There was a mixture of awe and hope in his sparkling blue eyes that made Bucky’s skin crawl. He didn’t like that look; that look meant something. Bucky didn’t know what, but he knew instinctively that whatever had put it on Steve’s face could not be good.

“You’re protecting him,” Steve stated.

Bucky scoffed. Tony began to wiggle around his lap again, and Bucky cupped his hand around Tony to keep him in place so he wouldn’t fall and break his other paw. “He’s pack. He’s injured and vulnerable right now. Of course I’m going to protect him, even if he is an asshole.”

Tony latched his tiny claws around Bucky’s hand, but didn’t sink them into his flesh—a warning.

“You can be a little asshole, don’t deny it.” Bucky gently wiggled his hand so it looked like Tony and him were shaking hands.

“You think he is pack?”

Bucky frowned. He didn’t like the amount of disbelief in Steve’s voice. “Of course. He’s an Avenger, isn’t he? That means he’s pack. I’d do the same thing for the others.”

“But you’ve spent more time with the others,” Steve pointed out.

Bucky’s frown deepened. Steve’s reactions just kept baffling him. “He’s still pack. Maybe an outlier, but still pack. How is that a hard concept for you to grasp?” Bucky didn’t ask the question to be cruel; he honestly couldn’t fathom why Steve was struggling with such a basic concept. He could understand if Steve were another type of shifter that didn’t have a pack mentality, but Steve was canine; he should understand the importance of pack.

“No, no.” Steve held up his hands in a sign of harmlessness. “I understand that he’s pack, I just wasn’t so sure…” Steve trailed off and bit the inside of his cheek.

Bucky growled low. He felt his teeth elongating and decided to let them do so; he was pissed and he wanted it to show. “You thought I didn’t.”

“Bucky,” Steve spoke softly. “I wasn’t sure what Hydra had done to you or the affects it would have on you. I know you have gotten along well with the others and treat them like pack, but I wasn’t positive that you viewed them as such.”

Bucky scoffed, bristling.

Tony meowed and nipped at Bucky’s thumb again.

Bucky closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He had a pack mate in his lap that was injured and vulnerable, he couldn’t allow himself to lose his temper and lash out, lest he hurt Tony in the process.

“Looks like I am interrupting something,” Fury’s voice cut in.

Bucky opened his eyes to see the director stroll into the room, approaching Bucky and Tony without any apprehension.

Bucky snarled and growled.

Fury stopped.

“Bucky,” Steve chastised.

Bucky cupped Tony closer to him and continued to growl at Fury.

“Bucky,” Steve said again, speaking more calmly. His attention darted between Bucky and Fury. Finally, it settled on Bucky. “Bucky, I know Fury technically isn’t pack, but you know he is an ally and you know he wouldn’t hurt Tony. It’s okay, you don’t have to be on guard. You let the doctor look at Tony, and you barely knew them. You know Fury. It’s okay.”

Except Bucky didn’t really know Fury. He worked with Fury—lived in Fury’s facility, but he’d had very few conversations with the man. If there was one thing that Bucky had learned from those conversations it was that Fury was a man of many secrets. That could be a good thing, and it could be bad.

Besides, Steve’s argument about the doctor was invalid. Bucky may not have known the doctor, but he had watched her work on several patients beforehand.

Also, the doctor hadn’t hidden the fact that she was gorgon.

Bucky still had no idea what Fury was, but he knew by the smell the man wasn’t entirely human.

“It’s fine if he doesn’t trust me,” Fury said, but he never took his eye off Bucky, and his hands remained near his concealed guns at all times. “I’m here to check on Tony and see if he’s recovered from Loki’s spell. It’s obvious he hasn’t and now we will have to make accommodations for him.”

“Pepper?” Steve sighed and stood.

“Negative,” Fury answered, and Steve visibly startled. “Ms. Potts was contacted, but when we asked her if she would take care of Tony if his predicament continued, she informed me that due to her busy work schedule she would not be able to care for him.”

“But can’t she move things around? In the past—”

“In the past Ms. Potts and Tony were romantically linked. Ms. Potts was kind enough to inform me that Tony and her terminated their relationship months ago, and so while she will change her schedule to accommodate Tony’s needs if necessary, she feels it would be more prudent to have Rhodey look after Tony. I can’t help but agree.”

“They broke up?” Steve whirled on Tony. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

Tony’s ears folded back against his skull and he hunched into a ball.

Bucky was torn between protecting his pack mate and allowing the leader of his pack to scold aforementioned pack mate when Tony was so vulnerable.

He didn’t like it. Bucky knew Steve didn’t mean any harm, but Tony was shaking again. They were minute tremors, but Bucky could feel them nonetheless.

Now was not the time to reprimand Tony.

Much as Bucky wanted to tell Steve just that, he bit his tongue and stayed quiet. He didn’t want to come off as if he was challenging Steve for the leader position. Bucky wasn’t a leader, no matter how much it chaffed him to submit when he saw Steve faltering.

“I don’t think he can answer,” Bucky said instead.

Steve grumbled and rubbed his neck. “Yeah, suppose you’re right.” He straightened and faced Fury. “Wait, but Rhodey isn’t available. You loaned him to the military and he isn’t due back for two days.”

“Which is why I thought perhaps one of Tony’s teammates would volunteer to look after him.”

Steve wrinkled his nose. “We’d all be happy too, but do you think it’s wise? Considering at any moment we might have to assemble.”

“Which is why I was hoping one of you would volunteer. I can bench one of you, but I can’t bench all of you.”

“I—” Steve started then frowned. His eyes were alight with calculation, and Bucky could guess what his friend was thinking.

Steve had been about to volunteer himself, but must have realized what that meant: someone else would have to lead the team if they were called to assemble. All of the Avengers were capable fighters, and quite a few of them had demonstrated the potential for leadership, but there had not been many missions that Steve did not lead. It meant the pack would have to face a potential enemy with a brand new dynamic. It wasn’t the worst possible scenario, but not one that the team needed to walk into either.

“I can’t speak for the others, but I’m sure someone will want to care for him.”

Fury nodded. “If worse comes to worse then I will.”

Bucky growled.

He tugged on his body armor so there was space between it and his chest. He then scooped up Tony and lowered Tony between his armor and his chest, mindful of Tony’s broken paw. He made certain Tony’s head peeked out over the armor. The body armor had been snug before, with Tony inside it was even more so. For a moment he worried that the tightness might cause Tony pain, but when Tony merely tilted his head back and blinked up at him, Bucky shoved aside his concern. “I’ll take care of him.”

“Bucky,” Steve sputtered. “You two barely get along.”

Bucky sneered and shoved past Steve. “He’s pack and none of you treat him like it, so you can’t be trusted.”

Steve shouted Bucky’s name again, but Bucky ignored it. He hadn’t meant to reveal his thoughts on the matter, but he didn’t regret that he had.

How else were Steve and the others ever going to learn?

Bucky marched out of the medical tent only to be frustratingly halted by the fact that his means of transportation was a SHIELD SUV that had been left behind for him and the Avengers—minus Thor and Natasha (Bucky assumed they had insisted on being involved in Loki’s interrogation).

His presence drew the attention of his teammates who had somehow gotten a hold of a pizza and were eating as they waited for their next set of commands. All their eyes were on him, but soon their gazes drifted to the fuzzy head peeking out from his tactical armor.

A moment later, Tony ducked his head under the armor.

“Is that Tony?” Clint asked, having not been given a chance to see Tony in his feline form prior.

Sam and Vision nodded.

Vision appeared intrigued by the circumstances of seeing Tony’s cat form, while Sam seemed wary.

Wanda, the young witch, stepped toward Bucky and Tony.

Bucky cast her a warning glare, which she heeded.

“Not to stir up trouble, but you’re still holding on to Tony?” Sam inquired.

“He’s still transformed,” Bucky stated.

Sam shook his head in disbelief. “Yeah, but he’s no longer out on the streets and alone. With the way you two bicker I would have thought you’d leave him with Steve.”

As if calling his name summoned him, Steve emerged from the medical tent. He clamped his hand on Bucky’s shoulder and squeezed. “What did you mean back there?”

Bucky didn’t bother to look over his shoulder as he answered. “Think about it. You know what pack is. You know how pack operates. There shouldn’t be any outliers in a pack, yet there is one. You’re the leader; you’re not supposed to let that happen.”

“We’re not all canine types, Bucky, and some of us would prefer to be alone. As a leader I need to respect my teammates’ space.”

“Yet you felt you were entitled to know about his personal relationship.”

“That’s different.”

“Is it?” Bucky finally turned. He hadn’t meant to catch Steve’s eyes, but when he did he froze. They were eye to eye. Bucky’s memories before Hydra were foggy, but even he could recall the few tense moments when he and Steve had accidentally locked gazes in challenge. He always remembered feeling disgust afterwards, whether he won the challenge or not. He didn’t want to challenge his friend like this.

He still didn’t, but damn it all if his hackles weren’t rising and his skin and nails weren’t tingling with the urge to go into a mid shift. He could see it in Steve’s eyes too—the way his blue gaze was blazing with determination and indignation. His mouth twitched in a half-formed sneer.

An arrow zoomed between them, breaking their concentration and causing them to snap their heads to follow the movement of the arrow.

Clint sighed in relief. “Okay, new team rule. The two alpha dogs are not allowed to stare lovingly into each other’s eyes; the love quickly turns to hate otherwise.”

“It’s not hate,” Steve snapped.

A soft meow drew Bucky’s gaze down to his chest where Tony was looking up at him. Tony waved his uninjured front paw, as if beckoning Bucky to him.

Bucky huffed in annoyance and dipped his finger under his armor, only for Tony to gnaw on it. “Ow. What is with the teeth?”

Tony purred.

Bucky grumbled, continuing to keep his finger tucked under his armor just so Tony could nip at it. “Yeah, yeah, just try to act all cute and like a regular cat. I know there is a human brain hidden under all of that fur. Just because the cat brain is dominant right now doesn’t mean you aren’t aware of what’s going on.”

Tony nipped him again.

Bucky rolled his eyes.

“This is why I’m worried,” Steve stated. “Even now you two are fighting.”

Bucky quirked an eyebrow. “You call this fighting? This is playing. I used to roughhouse with you all the time—still do on occasion; I would think you know the difference.”

“I wouldn’t call Tony snacking on your finger roughhousing,” Sam pointed out.

“Ah, but for a cat it is,” Vision said, his eyes sparkling with delight and knowledge. “Tony, to the best of my knowledge, has always been quite playful.”

Wanda jerked in surprise. “Stark?”

Vision nodded. “Of course. He is not one for physical roughhouse, but he is one for word games and verbal sparring. I do so enjoy the few times he has chosen to play such games with me. It is always such fun. It almost makes me jealous how much he plays with you, Captain.”

“Me?” Steve pointed at himself.

“You are his favorite,” Bucky said drily.

Steve frowned and narrowed his gaze at Bucky. “Are you pulling my leg?”

Bucky let out a puff of frustrated air. “Listen, you’re worried about me taking care of Tony because we bicker and have a few tense moments; I’m not going to hurt him though.”

“It’s not just that I’m worried about anymore; it’s also what you said back in the tent.”

“If you want to discuss  _ that _ , then we can do it in private. Preferably after I brush my teeth. I can still taste those aliens’ blood in my mouth.”

Steve opened his mouth then immediately shut it. He looked around the group and weighed whether or not it would be prudent for him to hash things out with Bucky in front of an audience or in private.

His jaw clenched, but Steve gave a yielding nod. “Later.”

“Excellent,” Fury said as he stepped out from the medical tent. “Now that things are settled, time to return to SHIELD. Barnes, take Tony to your place for now. Wanda, you’ll be with me once we arrive at the facility. We’re going to look through our databases for any spells or potions for animal recovery.”

Wanda scrunched her nose. “My magic is not meant for healing. A small thing I might be able to manage, but a broken limb?” Wanda shook her head.

“I didn’t ask if you could do it, Maximoff. I said that you will be going through the databases with me.”

Wanda was not pleased by the correction, but she didn’t argue with Fury.

The Avengers finished off their pizza (really, when and where did they get that, Bucky wondered), and then packed themselves into the SHIELD provided SUV.

Clint, Sam, and Vision kept up most of the chatter in the vehicle, but Bucky paid it little mind. He was too busy turning over the notion that he could take Tony back to the tower and care for him there. When Bucky had volunteered to care for Tony, he’d just assumed that he’d have Tony stay in his room with him, but when Fury commanded him to do so, it had reminded Bucky that there was another option available.

He could vividly remember the unease he’d felt when he’d walked into Tony’s territory. He rather not experience that feeling again, but at the same time his curiosity was piqued. Ever since Natasha and Clint had told him that Tony had redesigned the tower with the Avengers in mind, Bucky had wanted to take another look at the place. He wanted to explore and see just how much thought and effort had gone into its design.

He might have an excuse now.

The SUV pulled up to SHIELD’s facility and the Avengers hurried out from the vehicle. Clint took off running. He grabbed Sam by the elbow and dragged him along as Steve shouted a reminder at them that there would be a meeting in two hours to debrief what had happened during the mission and discuss Loki.

Fury pulled Wanda away from the group, and Vision took off for parts unknown—probably somewhere secluded to meditate or ponder the many wonders of the world.

That left Bucky alone with Steve.

Tony kicked Bucky’s chest.

Well, as alone as the two could be.

Bucky grumbled as he rubbed his head, mussing up his hair in the process. “Can we please head to my room before we start up this conversation again?”

Steve nodded, but a firm frown was in place.

Bucky headed into the facility, his pace brisk. His shoulders were tense. He could sense Steve on his heels, and even though he knew Steve was his friend and pack, old instincts put him on edge. He smothered those instincts as best he could and led Steve to his room. Once inside, Bucky carefully extracted Tony from underneath his armor and gently lowered him onto the floor.

Bucky headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth—the aliens’ blood really did leave a terrible aftertaste—and stopped in the doorway. Tucked between the toilet and the sink was a litter box.

Bucky shoulder blades rammed together and he sniffed the air. Maria Hill and one other agent had been in his room.

His skin itched with the need to remark his territory. He turned around and scanned his room for other signs of intrusion.

There was a small collection of tuna cans on his nightstand that hadn’t been there before. A bowl of water had been left in one of the corners of the room, and a small cushion had been placed next to it. It was the bare minimum for a cat, but since SHIELD and Bucky were both hoping that Tony would revert back to his human form soon, he wasn’t surprised by the small amount of cat supplies.

“Something wrong?” Steve asked.

“They entered my room,” Bucky grumbled and went back to the bathroom.

Steve sniffed as Bucky grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste.

A small, brief growl erupted from Steve. “I’ll talk to them about it.”

Bucky shoved his toothbrush in his mouth and got to work spreading the minty toothpaste around his teeth and gums. He felt slightly mollified knowing that Steve was on his side in regards to SHIELD invading his space.

After five minutes of thorough brushing, Bucky rinsed out his mouth and plopped his toothbrush down.

When he emerged from the bathroom it was to find Steve seated cross-legged on the floor in a staring contest with Tony.

Bucky opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when Steve slowly raised his hand and moved it as if to pet Tony.

Tony used his good paw to swat at Steve.

Steve yanked his hand back.  After a moment, he tried again, and Tony swatted at him.

“I don't think he wants you to pet him,” Bucky said.

Steve looked up sheepishly. “Sorry. Just…playing? I think.”

Tony purred.

“Well, he didn’t have his claws out,” Bucky pointed out.

“Just be careful with that broken paw,” Bucky said as he sat cross-legged across from Steve.

Tony flopped onto his uninjured side and covered his face.

Bucky looked to Steve. “Any idea what that means?”

Steve shook his head. “So what was that you were saying about not trusting the team? You know we care about Tony and would never let anything bad happen to him.”

“But then why is he always separated from the pack?”

“That’s his decision.”

“Then why did he redesign his home so everyone could live in it? He may be a feline species, but even felines enjoy the company of others, and it seems like he wanted company—he wanted pack.”

Tony meowed, his ears going flat.

Bucky put his hands on his knees and huffed. “Tell me I’m wrong,” he challenged Tony.

Tony kept his ears down but didn’t make a sound.

“Is Bucky right, Tony?” Steve asked.

Tony turned his head away and flicked his tail.

“Tony,” Steve pushed the issue.

Tony rose shakily onto his paws. He hopped and stumbled toward Bucky’s bed and hid under it. His amber eyes glowed in the shadows beneath.

Steve looked utterly crestfallen. He moved as if to get up and crawl under the bed after Tony, but Bucky stomped him with a hand to the knee. Bucky shook his head, and Steve backed off.

“Tony, you have to realize our decision to not live in the tower wasn’t anything against you. I feel much more comfortable living in someplace like SHIELD, and it’s the same for Clint, Natasha, and Sam. It’s what we’re used to. I’ll admit that perhaps Wanda at first may have had personal reasons for not wanting to live in the tower, but by now I’m sure her decision stems more from SHIELD being her home.”

Tony stared at Steve.

“I don’t think you’re helping,” Bucky said.

Steve slouched. He glanced shyly up at Bucky. “So this is why you don’t trust us to take care of him, because none of us were observant enough to realize he wanted to be included more?”

“I’m sure all of you are more than capable of taking care of him. But yes, I don’t trust you to be observant enough or to act on your observations. He’s pack. And it isn’t just sharing housing with us that he has been excluded from.” The convenient thing about everyone living in the same location was that there was always someone to hang out with, there was always someone who you could invite along with for a stroll around the city or to go out to dinner with. There had been moments of team bonding that Tony never got to be a part of just because he was never easily accessible.

“He could have moved in with us,” Steve weakly argued.

Bucky huffed. “Because if I spent my whole life in a mansion and also spent most of that life as the person in charge of everything, I would want to give up my cozy home and personal freedom to live on the equivalent of a military base.” The sarcasm was strong in Bucky’s voice.

Steve grimaced. “I see your point.”

Bucky sighed and leaned against the foot of his bed. “Listen, I was angry and on guard with Fury around when I said what I said. I trust all of you; you’re pack, and all of you have been very understanding of my…issues. But as I just stated, when it comes to Tony, I’m more hesitant to trust you with him. I can handle Tony, even if he is a little piece of shit.” Bucky slid his hand under the bed.

Tony bit Bucky’s fingertips.

Bucky scowled. “Yup, a little piece of shit.”

“If you’re certain.” Steve hesitated, finally showing signs of yielding on the matter.

“I am.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Brother, your refusal to share with us which spell you used on my shield brothers and sisters shall only make your punishment that much worse when it comes time to take you back to Asgard.”

Bucky bit into his ham sandwich as he watched the video footage of Loki’s interrogation on a secure laptop that SHIELD had provided him. Bucky was still surprised that Steve had managed to get him such a thing, but considering that Steve could literally give someone puppy dog eyes, he supposed he shouldn’t be too shocked by what Steve could accomplish. SHILED’s agents might be trained in combat, stealth, and a whole plethora of skills, but it didn’t change the fact that they were human—well, sentient and usually humanoid, and most sentient beings on earth had a hard time saying no to puppy dog eyes.

Tiny claws tickled Bucky’s leg.

Bucky looked down at the pillow where he’d left Tony.

Tony was still curled up on the cozy cushion, but the bowl of tuna Bucky had put out for him was completely empty.

Bucky frowned. “What?”

Tony pawed at his leg again.

“You just ate.”

Tony meowed.

“You’ll get fat. You can’t even run around with that broken paw. How do you expect to run off all that tuna?”

Tony flattened his ears and meowed again.

“You’re so adamant about learning which spell I used, Thor. I can’t help but wonder which of your friends it is who has suffered mal effects from the spell. Perhaps it is all of them? Ah, but no—I do believe I caught a glimpse of the Hawk in his animal form. Ah, no my mistake. The Hawk isn’t just mortal, but pathetically human too, isn’t he?”

Bucky bit into his sandwich, enjoying the sweet and salty juice of the ham.

More weight was added to claws on Bucky’s leg, and when he looked down again it was to see Tony precariously balanced on his leg.

“Gah! Tony!” Bucky scooped Tony up and plopped Tony in the middle of his crossed legs where he knew Tony wouldn’t be able to escape without aid. “Are you trying to break your other paw? Sheesh.” Bucky ripped a piece of ham off his sandwich and held it in front of Tony. “Really. You’re lucky I even feed you at all, considering how often you bite me.”

Tony purred as he nibbled on the chunk of meat Bucky dangled in front of him.

“Jerk,” Bucky huffed.

There was a knock at his door.

Bucky grumbled to himself. “One moment.” He set aside the rest of his sandwich waited for Tony to finish off the ham.

Bucky’s bones almost jumped out of his skin when Tony’s sandpaper tongue licked his fingertips to get the last of the ham’s juices.

Bucky yanked his flesh hand away, only to scoop Tony up in his metal one. He cradled Tony to his chest—mindful of the paw—and carried Tony over to the door. He fiddled with the lock, and when the door swung open it was to reveal Wanda.

Bucky tensed; he always tensed when left alone with Wanda. She was a sweet girl with a bit of a temper, which was fine. What wasn’t so fine? That she had the power of mind control quite literally at her fingertips. After decades under Hydra’s power, Bucky didn’t want to be near anyone or anything that could replicate Hydra’s control.

It also didn’t help that the first file Bucky read on her discussed in detail how she had taken down all of the Avengers one by one and unleashed the Hulk on an unsuspecting city.

Wanda held up a tiny glass bottle—the kind of thing Bucky would suspect held perfume or scented oil at a glance. “Fury and I found something that might work for healing a werecat stuck in cat form.”

“Actually heal? Or help him get out of cat form?” Either would be good.

For centuries witches had been persecuted, and so many witches had passed on their spells orally to avoid leaving any physical evidence of what they were. Nowadays there were a few common spells that even humans knew, and tools of the trade that people would recognize, but so much knowledge had been lost due the persecution. Not just knowledge, but witches too. Wanda was part of a dying group. She hadn’t even been born a witch. Hydra’s experiments had just brought out the power that used to run freely through her family’s veins but had been reduced to nothing for generations until her.

What all of that amounted to was that Wanda was a witch with no one to guide her or pass spells down to her, so Wanda had to rely on what SHIELD had in their database, which even for a spy organization wasn’t much. Bucky truly questioned if SHIELD had any sort of healing spell intended for a feline shifter.

“It should mend his bone,” Wanda stated. Her gaze flickered over Bucky’s shoulder and into his room.

She wanted inside, but she either lacked the courage to ask or was respecting social doctrine by waiting for Bucky to give the invite.

After having his room be invaded once today, Bucky didn’t feel like having another guest in his domain.

Bucky held out his hand for the bottle. “He just needs to drink it, right?”

Tony craned his head to get a look at the potion. He sniffed and wrinkled his nose.

Seeing the reaction, Bucky gave the bottle whiff.

Whatever was inside it was so sour it stung Bucky’s nostrils.

“I don’t think he’ll drink it willing,” Wanda said. “It is said to taste and smell horrible. One source recommend clamping your hand down on the drinker’s mouth after they’ve taken a gulp to stop the patient from spitting it out.”

Tony kicked at Bucky’s chest.

Bucky stroked Tony’s back and scowled. “I know, I know. It reeks. I don’t want to drink it myself, but if it heals your paw then you got to just deal. I’ll open up another can of tuna so you can eat away the taste.”

Tony chomped on Bucky’s collarbone.

Bucky glared at Tony. “It’s only been a few hours and I’m already sick of you biting me.”

Tony’s eyes went saucer-wide. He stared up at Bucky imploringly.

Bucky scowled. “No.”

Tony briefly lapped at Bucky’s collarbone apologetically.

“Are you trying to be cute?”

Tony meowed.

“Are we sure Stark is not brain damaged as well?” Wanda asked. “He is acting out of character.”

Bucky scoffed, adjusting his hold on Tony so it was more secure. “You’ll need a brain scan to be sure, but no, he’s fine. You’ve been around Steve, Sam, and Natasha long enough that you should know by now that we act differently when we’re in our animal forms.”

“Yes, but Stark is not usually so… affectionate,” Wanda hesitated on the last word.

Bucky huffed. “There are only so many ways you can communicate when you’re in your animal form. I’ve had to lick Steve’s face a few times to get a point across. I’ve even bit his butt.”

Wanda went wide-eyed.

Bucky shrugged. “It’s what you gotta do sometimes. Now, you handing over the potion or are you going to help me get it down Stark’s throat?”

Wanda uncapped the potion and handed it to Bucky.

Bucky scrunched up his face, trying to prevent most of the foul stench from entering his nostrils.

Tony meowed in protest and smothered his nose in Bucky’s shoulder.

“Tony, you have to drink this. Now you can either drink it willingly and with dignity, or Wanda and I can treat you like a normal cat and force you to drink the potion.”

“I believe most people would just mix the potion into his food if he were a normal cat,” Wanda quipped.

“He’s too smart for that.”

Tony nipped at Bucky again.

“Telling me you don’t want to drink it isn’t going to change the fact that you need to.”

Tony lifted his head and did something with his eyes that was probably supposed to be a glare, but the eyes were naturally so big and round the effect was lost on Bucky.

Bucky held the bottle to Tony’s mouth. “Five seconds of disgust, or weeks worth of pain? Keep in mind you can’t run in your cat form if you have a broken paw.”

Tony wrinkled his nose. He leaned forward and sniffled the bottle then sneezed.

His tail swished as he eyed the potion in Bucky’s hand. Finally, he wrapped his tiny mouth around the bottle.

Careful not to drown Tony with the potion, Bucky tilted the bottle up so the potion poured into Tony’s mouth.

Tony’s ears immediately went down, but he continued to chug down the potion.

When the bottle was half empty Bucky slipped it out from Tony’s mouth.

Tony sneezed again and licked his lips. He yowled pitifully.

“Yeah, yeah,” Bucky clapped Tony on the back. “I know—”

Tony howled. His claws dug into Bucky’s shirt and pierced Bucky’s skin. He kicked and twisted, screaming.

Bucky’s fingernails lengthened into claws and two dark wolf ears unfolded from atop his skull. He scowled and shielded Tony while also trying to sooth him by stroking Tony’s back. “What did you do?” Bucky accused Wanda.

Wanda jumped and took a step back.

“I did nothing. The potion is supposed to quicken the rate at which bones heal.”

Tony yowled low and deep, his entire body frozen and tense. His claws were hooked deep into Bucky.

Bucky let out a rumble that for a wolf would sound very comforting, but the meaning of the sound was lost on Tony who just kept howling and clinging to him.

“It’s hurting him,” Bucky said.

“It might hurt,” Wanda’s eyes glowed red, “but he should heal.”

“It shouldn’t hurt at all,” Bucky growled.

Wanda quirked a thin eyebrow. “Oh? Just how resetting a bone doesn’t hurt at all? Or taking out a bullet from a wound. Some things require pain to heal.”

Tony’s cries died down to soft meows.

Bucky cradled Tony’s head and rubbed behind his ear, watching and waiting to see if Tony would calm down further before he snapped at Wanda again.

Slowly, the tension left Tony’s body and he slumped against Bucky. His tiny meows didn’t cease though. Bucky kept his quiet rumble going. Eventually the meows subsided. Tony remained curled up against Bucky’s chest with his ears flat and his eyes screwed shut though.

Bucky breathed a sigh of relief, his wolf ears and claws vanishing now that he knew his pack mate wasn’t in danger.

Wanda watched them intently, curiosity in her eyes.

“What?” Bucky barked.

Wanda frowned. “You care for him, despite arguing with him. You think of him as pack, but what has he done to make himself so.” Wanda’s gaze narrowed. “You trust him more than me, yet we have interacted more. How is that possible?”

Bucky scowled. “And did you learn all that from observation or because you snuck a peek inside me head?”

Wanda cocked her head to the side. “You don’t like my powers, but I have never used them on you. I have never used them to harm another besides our enemies since joining the Avengers.”

“And what is to stop you from deciding that one day the Avengers are your enemy again?”

Wanda startled.

Bucky grabbed the door, ready to fling it shut on Wanda. “You’re pack, just like Tony. If you’re ever in danger I’ll defend you, just like I’m protecting Tony now, but that doesn’t erase the fact that on a whim you can look into my mind and manipulate it. So yes, I trust Tony more than I trust you.”

“You fear me.”

Bucky smirked. “Rightfully so.”

“But I mean you no harm.”

“And I hope it remains that way, but for now, I’m a paranoid bastard who rather keep his distance from the one person who can take control of his mind again.” Bucky shut the door on her.

He went back to monitoring the video feed he had of Loki and eating a sandwich. He kept Tony in his lap.

Tony was limp, his head resting on Bucky’s knee the entire time, and his paws splayed haphazardly across Bucky.

Bucky poked at the pads of Tony’s feet and Tony didn’t even twitch.

“You okay, Tony?” Bucky asked.

Tony twitched his tail but otherwise remained a limp sack of fur.

Bucky accepted the answer and went back to watching the scene on the laptop.

Thor had lost it and was shouting at Loki, who was smirking up a storm. Bucky actually felt embarrassed for Thor. It was painfully obvious that Loki was toying with him.

Thor approached the cell containing, Loki, his fist raised as if to hit it.

Natasha seized Thor by the wrist and ordered him to stand down.

Thro argued with her a bit, but with a few short and clinical reponses from Natasha, Thor backed off.

Loki still looked too immensely pleased with himself.

Natasha attempted to interrogate Loki again, but the damage was already done. Loki was not going to talk, not even with Natasha playing to his ego.

Natasha and Thor left the room.

Tony’s broken paw twitched. A trill of surprise escaped Tony. He lifted his head just enough to look at his paw then settled it back down to rest.

Bucky finished off the rest of his sandwich, and when he took the last bite, Wanda and Vision appeared on screen.

Loki’s gaze drifted to the mind gem settled in Vision’s skull.

Loki stiffened.

Bucky wanted to watch—to see how Loki would react to Vision, but his stomach churned with the knowledge of why Wanda was there.

It would be difficult for Loki to keep his secrets when facing off against an opponent who could see into his mind.

Bucky shut the laptop, unable to watch as Wanda use her skills.

Tony grumbled and wiggled in Bucky’s lap, all four paws waving and kicking in the air.

Bucky eyed the paw covered in a cast. “You think you can walk on that?”

Tony purred briefly.

“Okay. Let’s give it a try.” Bucky gently lifted Tony out of his lap and placed him on the ground.

The second Bucky let go, Tony took off for the bathroom, his jog clumsy but strong.

Tony yowled joyously, the sound echoing in the bathroom.

Bucky snorted in amusement then chuckled.

His chuckles died when he heard the sounds of Tony using his new litter box and smelled it too.

Bucky covered his nose and mouth. “You really know how to celebrate a joyous occasion, Stark.”

Tony trilled and scraped the litter around. A moment later he was stumbling into the bedroom and over to the bowl of water.

“Guess we better get that cast off of you.”

Tony ignored him and instead lapped up enough water to replace all of the liquid he had lost. When he finished he curled up into a ball, licked his paw, then bathed his face.

Bucky huffed and shoved the laptop under his bed. He went to the old radio he kept on his dresser and turned it on. Electronic jazz filled the room. If Tony was going to rest then he was going to take the time to do a few workouts to help keep his thoughts off what he knew was happening to Loki not too far away.

He was on his fifteenth set of exercises when he heard the Steve’s footsteps headed toward his room.

Bucky glanced up from his push up to see Tony curled up next to his water bowl and dozing.

Bucky shoved himself up and head for his door, opening it before Steve had a chance to properly knock.

Steve stared at Bucky for a moment, stunned, but he soon shook it off. His face was a regular storm cloud as he spoke, “Loki is not giving us any information.”

Bucky nodded. “I saw on the laptop.”

“Fury says that you cut off the feed once Wanda and Vision arrived, so I wasn’t so sure that you knew that Wanda was unable to access Loki’s mind.”

Bucky chest constricted. He felt a mix of relief and frustration. He was relieved to know that Wanda was not all-powerful (even if he’d known that prior; it was still nice to have a reminder), but he was frustrated that he and his team were stuck back at square one in regards to Tony.

“There’s bad news though.”

“Oh?” Bucky feigned innocent surprise. “Being unable to hack Loki’s brain isn’t ‘bad?’”

Steve grimaced. “Not as bad as Loki using Wanda’s power against her and him learning that Tony is stuck in his cat form.”

Bucky’s fingers flexed at his side and he clenched his teeth. “Not great, but as long as we keep him locked up, I guess it’s not the worst news, either.”

Steve nodded. “Fury is also starting to wonder if Tony’s condition isn’t because of Loki, at least not now.”

Bucky frowned. He pulled open the door more and signaled Steve inside.

Steve nodded his head in deference as he entered Bucky’s space. He waited for Bucky to close the door behind him before he spoke. “Tony has been stuck in mid-shift form for days on end repeatedly for months now. Fury checked with a medical expert and they agree that Tony may be stuck as a cat now because his body is trying to recover from the strain of being in mid shift for so long and so often.”

“In other words, Loki’s spell triggered the transformation, but Tony’s stuck because of himself.”

“Essentially.” Steve’s gaze darted to Tony’s sleeping form. “Since stress seems to be what the cause behind Tony’s troubles, the doctor recommended keeping Tony somewhere where he feels safe and secure while in his cat form. SHIELD is safe and secure, but—”

“But it’s not his home,” Bucky finished for Steve.

Steve nodded. “Rhodey should be back in a few days, so we can keep Tony here until then, but…” Steve bit his bottom lip. Once again those blue eyes glanced at Tony. There was pain and guilt in Steve’s gaze. It took a few seconds, but eventually, Steve pried his attention off Tony and put it back on Bucky. “Do you really think Tony wanted pack?”

Bucky weighed his answer. “I don’t know if Tony understands what _pack_ is, but I do believe that he wanted everyone to live together under one roof, and that he reconstructed his home for that purpose.”

Steve cringed. “Do you think he’d be mad then if…” Steve shook his head. “Sorry, I’m asking the wrong thing first. Bucky, would you be willing to stay in Tony’s tower until Rhodey comes back?”

Bucky shifted in discomfort as he was flooded with the memory of what it had been like to step into Tony’s territory. He was curious though, and if staying at the tower would help his pack mate then it would be beneficial for both of them. Besides, it would just take a little scenting the place here and there during his stay to ease any tension he would feel. “I’m fine with that, but maybe you should ask Tony if he’d be fine with it.”

“Yeah,” Steve scratched the back of his head. He turned toward Tony, but Tony was snoozing still.

Steve smiled sheepishly. “I’ll ask him when he wakes up.”

Bucky scoffed and pushed past Steve to stomp up to Tony.

Tony blinked blurry eyes up at Bucky, before Bucky picked Tony up by the nape. He draped Tony over his metal arm and made him face Steve as he massaged Tony’s nape. “Ask you’re question.”

Tony yawned and scratched his ear.

Steve bit down a snicker. “Uh...um.” Steve cleared his throat. He put on his best smiling leader face and tried again. “Tony it has come to my attention—”

“Jesus, Steve, stop being so formal.” Bucky switched his hold on Tony so he held Tony up by his armpits and the two of them were eye to eye. “Doc says you’re still a cat because you’re a stressed out nerd and you we should have you live at the tower were everything is safe and familiar. I’m your babysitter though, so you cool with me stayin’ at your place until Rhodey takes my job from me?”

Tony blinked then stretched out his neck toward Bucky.

Bucky frowned and brought Tony closer to his face.

Tony licked the tip of Bucky’s nose.

Bucky scrunched his face. “I think that means I’ve been given permission to live in the tower.”

Steve grinned. “Great. Then—”

Tony swatted Bucky’s cheek.

“Gah! Why are you such an asshole!”


	4. Chapter 4

“This is it,” Steve said as the elevators to Tony’s penthouse opened up. Steve was jittery; he was probably nervous that after he left Bucky would boil Tony then eat him, which was absurd. As if Bucky would waste time cooking Tony if he were that hungry and desperate. Bucky even told Steve as much.

“Bucky! That is a terrible joke.”

Tony, who Bucky was carrying, swatted at Bucky’s chest and face.

“I would also be forced to stop you, Sergeant Barnes, if you did decide to eat Tony,” a female voice said from overhead.

Bucky bones jumped in his skin, he dropped the duffle bag he’d been carrying and he unsheathed his claws.

He growled as he looked around the room for the potential invader.

He didn’t detect a scent other than Tony, Steve, and his.

Steve reached for Bucky’s shoulders to calm him down but stopped short. “It’s okay, Buck. That’s FRIDAY, Tony’s personal AI.”

“Right…” Bucky had known about FRIDAY—had heard her over the Comms several times. He just hadn’t expected to hear her then, and he was a tad on edge since he was invading Tony’s territory.

Tony squirmed in his hold.

Bucky put Tony down, and Tony went racing across the penthouse and down the hallway.

“All right,” Steve’s hands went to his waist. His hips rocked as he shifted with uncertainty. “You sure about this?”

“Looking after a cat in penthouse that’s just as ritzy as any mansion? Sounds difficult but I think I can mange.”

Steve grinned. “You know what I mean, jerk. I get that you feel like you're the best candidate for the job, but that doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind or ask someone else to fill in for a while.”

“Do I need to point out the penthouse again?”

Steve clamped his hand on Bucky’s shoulder and squeezed. “Okay, I get it. You’ll take care of Tony. Do you want me to stay while you get settled in or would you prefer some alone time with Tony and FRIDAY?”

“Now see when you phrase it like that, it sounds like I’m about to have threesome with a cat and a computer and that is just not to my taste.”

“Smart ass. “ Steve playfully punched Bucky’s shoulder.

“Punk,” Bucky grinned. He strolled over to the couch and brushed his knuckles across the top of it, testing the feel of the material. Slowly he turned his hand around so his wrist skimmed the top, leaving traces of his scent on the fabric. “Better if I explore and settle in on my own.”

Steve nodded in deference and backed into the elevator. “Okay. Call though if something comes up or if you need anything. FRIDAY should also be able to help you too if you have any questions.”

“That I can,” FRIDAY said.

Bucky nodded and waved Steve away. “Just go already. I’ll never settle in with you watching me.”

“Got it.” Steve looked up at the ceiling. “FRIDAY, if you’d be so kind.”

“Right away, Captain.” The elevator doors closed. The mechanics whirred as the elevator dropped down.

Bucky frowned, his body going tense without Steve’s familiar presence. He rolled his neck and shrugged his shoulders. His instincts were telling him to brace for a fight or flee—that this was not his home or somewhere neutral; he’d entered someone else’s den. Bucky circled the couch, continuing to rub the underside of his wrist across the material until it smelled enough like him that Bucky would feel comfortable sitting on it.

Bucky then went to the kitchen.

“Is there something you would like?” FRIDAY asked.

Bucky shook his head. He opened up the utensil drawer and shifted the items around inside. He opened every cupboard and drawer and touched things, just enough to leave little bits of his smell here and there until it intermingled with Tony’s.

Bucky opened the fridge and stuck his head inside to look for food.

Tony meowed.

Bucky jumped and hit his head on the fridge shelf. “Fuck.” His head throbbed with pain. “Jesus, you’re friggin’ quiet in that form.”

Tony sat on his haunches and swished his tail. He stared up at Bucky with wide eyes.

“What?” Bucky rubbed the tender spot on his head.

Tony meowed again.

“I believe he’d like food,” FRIDAY said.

Bucky eyed the fridge. Other than a few vegetables, spreads, and condiments, there wasn’t much to be had in the fridge. Certainly nothing he could feed a cat. “Well, where do you keep the tuna?”

Tony stood up and padded over to the living room.

Bucky frowned but followed.

Tony led Bucky to a small table with a drawer. Tony jumped onto the table and batted at the drawer, trying to open it.

Bucky opened the drawer and pulled out five take out menus.

Tony licked his lips.

Bucky glanced between the menus and Tony. Finally, he sighed and spread the menus out across the table. “Okay, first, which place?”

Tony tapped the menu for a steak house.

Bucky nodded in admiration. “Rich tastes even in animal form. Not bad.” He took away the other menus and flipped open the one for the steakhouse. “So what are you ordering?”

Tony purred as he placed his paw on the sirloin.

“Also, not bad. I personally prefer a good old fashion New York Strip, but whatever makes you happy. So do I need to tell the guys to be stingy with the seasonings?” Bucky eyed Tony. “I can’t imagine all that stuff is good for you.”

Tony flashed a fang at Bucky.

“Don’t give me that. I’m a shifter too; I know how these things work. We may be more resilient than the average cat and wolf, but when we’re in our animal forms there is only so much of a difference between us and a normal cat and wolf. I’m not going to get sick off of eating a small chocolate bar, but if eat an entire bag of chocolate, you beat I’m going to be puking. Same for you.”

Tony waltzed over to Bucky and headbutted him in the chest before giving him the largest pair of round sad eyes.

Bucky shook his head. “I’m not falling for that. You play cute and then you bite me. You’re a jackass.”

Tony trilled and headbutted Bucky again.

“Not buying it.”

Tony nipped Bucky.

Bucky jumped back and pointed at Tony. “And that is exactly what I am talking about.”

Tony lay down on his stomach and purred.

Maybe it was just Bucky’s imagination, but he swore Tony was grinning at him.

“All right, where is the phone so I can call this place?”

“Allow me, Sergeant Barnes,” FRIDAY said. “I’ll just need your full order and then I can make the call and pay for the meal.”

Bucky shrugged. “Not like he can have much other than the sirloin. A salad and soda aren’t exactly good for him right now. Just get the meat cooked to whatever level he likes.”

“And you?”

Bucky scrunched his face. “I don’t feel like shoveling out a lot of money right now for food. I’ll just eat what’s in the fridge and replace it later.”

“While that is kind of you to offer, you do not need to worry about replacing anything of Tony’s that you consume while here. Also, Tony will pay for any and all take out meals.”

“That’s nice, but I don’t think you get to offer that, FRIDAY.”

“I offer because it is in my programming. Anyone who looks after Tony while he is in his feline form is promised food and any other expenses that may come up. In fact, I insist that you order, or else my programming will force me to order the entire menu to ensure that you are well fed.”

Bucky went wide-eyed. “Are you serious?”

“Very.”

Bucky stared at Tony.

Tony licked his paw and cleaned his face.

“You crazy, rich son of a bitch.”

Tony stopped cleaning his face and stared at Bucky.

Bucky shook his head. “Fine. Get me the strip and a coke. I’m going to go sit down.”

Bucky flopped onto the couch and ran his hand through his hair. On the one hand, he could believe that Tony would set up some kind of system to make sure whoever looked after him was well fed and taken care of; quite a few people would consider it polite and the proper thing to do. On the other hand, the knowledge that Bucky could order half the menu and Tony would have allowed it hit him in the solar plexus. It was just so unreal. Who even did that sort of thing?

Bucky startled when Tony jumped onto the couch and joined him. Bucky threw his hand over his heart. “Okay, I am going to put a bell on you if you continue to creep around like that, you fuzz ball.”

Tony crouched low, and swished his tail. His eyes zeroed in on Bucky’s thigh.

Bucky quirked an eyebrow. “Okay, what are you—”

Tony darted forward, ran onto Bucky’s lap then ran off of it. He whirled around and hunched, his gaze once again locked on Bucky.

Bucky stared. “Are you playing with me?”

Tony made a mad dash again, but this time he raced across Bucky’s lap, onto the arm of the couch, over the top of the couch, and jumped down into the seat next to Bucky.

He yowled at the ceiling then stared at Bucky again.

“Listen, I didn’t bring the cat toys SHIELD gave me, so unless you have some of your own lying around, I can’t play with you.”

Tony swatted at Bucky’s thigh.

Bucky scowled. “Or I can turn into a wolf and chase you around. How’d you like that?” Bucky challenged.

Tony wiggled his butt and purred.

Bucky sat up a little straighter. “You want me to chase you?”

Tony jumped off the couch, landing right in front of Bucky’s feet. He peered over his shoulder and flicked his tail in a taunting manner.

A smirk slowly spread across Bucky’s face. Bucky rose off the couch and peeled off his shirt. “Okay, Stark, if that’s what you want, then prepare to be my new chew toy.”

Tony trilled, shook his ass, then dashed forward a few feet before spinning around and meeting Bucky head on.

Bucky chuckled as he took off his pants and underwear. “Trust me. I’m faster.” Bucky transformed.

Bucky’s paws hit the ground with a thunk, and just as he got his bearings a black streak of fur raced a circle around him, then jumped onto and over the couch and took off for the hallway.

Bucky gave chase.

He could keep up with Tony just fine, but Tony was tiny, so just when Bucky would think he had Tony cornered, Tony would spring to the side and run away. Sometimes he’d even be so bold as to run between Bucky’s legs. Tony also loved to use the furniture to his advantage. He’d jump on small tables and cabinets that Bucky couldn’t leap onto unless he wanted to knock the thing over. So Bucky bolted and skidded after Tony for several minutes before one of Tony’s claws got caught in the carpet and he fell flat on his face.

Bucky pounced, landing with his front paws braced on either side of Tony. He shoved his face toward Tony’s belly as if he were going to bite Tony there.

Tony yowled. His front paws latched onto Bucky’s face and he kicked Bucky’s throat with his hind paws.

Bucky growled and shook his head, freeing himself from Tony’s clutches.

Tony rolled onto his belly and tried to take off again, But Bucky grabbed him by the neck and carried him over to the couch.

Tony meowed in protest, but Bucky ignored him, Instead hopping onto the couch and settling Tony into the corner of it. He curled himself around Tony so Tony would have no easy means of escape.

Tony stretched for the arm of the couch, and Bucky batted him down with one paw.

Tony then tried to climb over the back of the couch, but Bucky dragged him back down and into the corner.

Tony swiveled his head. He raised his paw as if he was about to walk over Bucky to escape. Bucky let out a quiet woof and Tony lowered his paw.

He meowed at Bucky in protest.

Pride and joy echoed through Bucky’s chest at having won his game of capture the cat. Just for fun he lowered his head onto his pack mates’ and snuffled the top of Tony’s head.

Tony lowered his ears and meowed again in protest, but didn’t make another attempt at escape.

Bucky headbutted Tony’s side, forcing Tony flop down farther into the corner and curl up.

Bucky rested his chin on Tony’s head.

Tony batted at Bucky’s face, but Bucky refused to move. Revenge was sweet. Plus, he was keeping his full weight off of Tony. If Tony really wanted to, he could squirm out from under Bucky’s chin. Instead Tony kept up his pawing at Bucky’s face and tilted his head up to nip at Bucky’s chin.

“Sergeant Barnes, “ FRIDAY said, “the delivery man has arrived with your food. Would you like me to send him up?”

Bucky grumbled and jumped off the couch.

With just a thought, Bucky transformed into his human self. He stretched his neck then reached down to scoop up his pants. “Yeah. Send him up. Did you already tip him too, or do I need to get out my wallet?”

“The tip has already been included, Sergeant.”

Bucky nodded as he button and zipped up his pants. He was shrugging on his shirt a moment later when the elevator opened and a young twenty-year-old with bags of food strolled in. After a few pleasantries, Bucky took the bags from the youth and sent the twenty-something on their way back to work.

Bucky took the bags to the kitchen, Tony on his heels the whole way.

Bucky rolled his eyes as he popped open the container holding Tony’s sirloin. “I’m going to give you your food, Tony. Jeez, no need to trip me.”

Tony meowed.

Bucky sighed and grabbed a knife and fork from the drawer. He sliced the sirloin into tiny pieces so Tony could eat it without struggle. He scooped the tiny pieces onto a small plate then set it down on the floor.

Tony dove into the food like he was starving.

Bucky watched for a minute and contemplated if perhaps he _had_ been starving Tony. Human Tony wasn’t a vigorous eater. He ate well, but Bucky had never seen Tony ram food down his throat; that was usually Thor and Clint.

Bucky scooped up a few more spoonfuls of sirloin and added them to Tony’s plate. He then fetched a bowl from the cabinet and filled it with water for Tony.

Once he was sure Tony was taken care of, Bucky popped open his container of food and went to the couch to eat it.

The food was so _good_. From the first bite Bucky knew he’d be sick from the richness of the dish (his stomach was used to less finer things). The meat was moist and it cut as easily as warm butter. The spices and juices danced on Bucky’s tongue in a decadent combination that had Bucky moaning despite his best efforts not too. A steak like the one he had deserved to be savored, but it was just too good to stop from eating within ten minutes.

Stomach heavy with food, Bucky set aside the container and curled up on the couch. He closed his eyes. He planned doze for a few minutes to give his stomach time to digest a little before he moved around again.

The patter of paws approaching him caused Bucky crack open an eye.

Tony was staring at Bucky and licking his lips. When his eyes met Bucky’s he hunched then leaped onto the couch. He circled the open spot in front of Bucky’s stomach then curled into a ball and tucked his head under his paw.

Bucky grunted and closed his eyes again.

If Tony wanted to nap with him then whatever. Personally, if Bucky were Tony he’d head for the bedroom where there was probably a king sized bed with extra pillows and cushions, but Tony was an odd ball. Besides, it wasn’t like Tony napping with him was much of a burden.

Bucky’s doze turned into two-hour nap, and when he woke up Tony was missing.

When Bucky inquired into Tony’s whereabouts, FRIDAY answered, “He is playing with Dum-E down in his lab. I am monitoring the situation in case Dum-E runs over Boss’ tail again.”

“Dum-E?”

“A robot, Sergeant. Dum-E assists Tony in the lab and workshop. Dum-E has some bugs in his system though, so he can sometimes react to things overenthusiastically. Tony likes to chase him when he is a cat.”

Bucky stifled a yawn then stretched. “So little fella is in his lab chasing robots? Doesn’t sound safe, but if he’s done it before then I won’t worry about it. Just let me know if the robot does run him over.”

“Will do, Sergeant Barnes. In the meantime, is there anything you’d like me to do for you? Perhaps you’d like me to find a room for you? While Tony does his best to buy comfortable furniture, a bed would be better at preventing back problems and sore muscles.”

“Nah.” Bucky patted the couch cushion. “Already claimed my spot. Rather not mark the place any more than that without talking to Tony first.”

“I assure you that Boss will understand and be fine with you picking out a room for yourself to stay in.”

Bucky picked up his leftover container and carried it to the kitchen. “Probably better to stay near him, though, incase he falls out of that big bed of his and he breaks his paw again.” Bucky dumped the container in the trash.

The can of coke he’d gotten with his food sat on the counter. He popped it open and gulped down half of it. He brushed back his hair. “Where is a toilet I can use?”

“The closest one is down the hallway and to the left.”

Bucky nodded and headed for the bathroom. He stopped once his hand was on the handle . “Hey, FRIDAY, Steve and I just assumed that Tony had a litter box of something set up for him to use in the bathroom, but I never did ask, does he?” Bucky would friggin’ race down to the lab that second, hold Tony over the sink, and tell him to pee in it if the answer was no. He wasn’t going to risk Tony peeing on the floor—neither him or Tony needed to deal with that humiliation.

“I had Dum-E set up the emergency litter box hours ago, Sergeant.”

Bucky nodded and went into the bathroom. “Okay then.”

After using the toilet, Bucky washed up. He splashed water in his face and also used the water to tame his sleep-mussed hair. He adjusted his clothes so it didn’t look like he’s just had a one-night stand, then headed out of the bathroom.

He almost tripped on Tony, who was sitting in the hallway waiting for him.

“Okay, I’m starting to think you just want to give me a heartattack, you sadist.”

Tony swished his tail, then stood up and walked into the living room like he hadn’t just been waiting in the hall like some creepy stalker.

Bucky shook his head.

“Boss. Sergeant Barnes. Ms. Potts is on her way up to visit.”

Tony froze.

Bucky did too. He frowned. “I thought Pepper wasn’t getting involved?” He asked the ceiling then turned to Tony. “Aren’t you two broken up?”

Tony dashed under the couch and hid.

Bucky’s muscles tensed.

Everything Bucky knew about Tony and Pepper was hearsay, but even so, he’d never heard anything about their relationship that would make him think Pepper’s presence deserving of such a reaction from Tony. In fact, quite the opposite. Tony always spoke highly of Pepper, so then…

The elevator doors opened.

Bucky marched out of the hallway and glared down Pepper, who was looking around the place.

Pepper jumped at Bucky’s appearance. She forced on a smile and nodded slightly in greeting. “You must be James Barnes. I was informed that you’re the one taking care of Tony until Rhodey gets back from his mission.” Pepper walked up to Bucky and held out her hand for a shake.

Bucky stared at the appendage. “I was told you didn’t want anything to do with Tony.”

Pepper withdrew her hand. Her face went cold for a moment, but Bucky could tell by the minute quiver of her shoulders that he’d hit a sore spot with her.

“I admit that I did refuse to be Tony’s primary caretaker at this time, because of my work schedule and our history, but Tony Stark is still my friend and someone I care deeply about, Mr. Barnes, I assure you. In fact, I care enough about him that if I learn that you’ve done anything to mistreat him while he in his vulnerable state, you can be sure that there will be a hundred lawyers knocking down your door with lawsuits that will keep you and your family in debt for many generations.”

Pepper smiled. “Do I make myself clear?”

Impressive threat. “I see why Tony fell for you.” Bucky held out his hand. “I prefer Bucky. James sounds too formal.”

Pepper nodded. “Bucky it is then.” Pepper looked around the room. “Where is Tony? Is he playing with his bots?”

Bucky pointed to the couch.

Pepper raised a thin eyebrow and went over to the sofa. She hummed as she looked around it. After a few second, she kneeled on the floor and looked under the couch. “Tony, what are you doing under there?”

Tony meowed.

Pepper smiled and shook her head in fondness. “Stubborn as always. Please come out.”

Tony didn’t move.

Pepper’s face fell for a second, and then suddenly Tony was crawling out from under the couch.

The smile returned to Pepper’s face. She reached out and scratched Tony’s ears.

Tony closed his eyes in contentment and swayed a little closer to Pepper.

“I’m glad to see you’re safe, Tony,” Pepper spoke softly.

Tony purred and bent his head as if to nuzzle and headbutt Pepper wrist, but he stopped himself. His body went tense and his eyes shifted from side to side.

He suddenly bolted away from Pepper, past, Bucky, and down the hall.

Pepper remained kneeled on the floor with her hand out over the spot where Tony had been. Her expression was one of utter heartbreak as she stared after Tony.

“Well,” Bucky glanced over his shoulder to see how far Tony had gone (he was out of sight). He turned his head back to Pepper. “That was unexpected.”

Pepper rubbed her wrist and stared down at it morosely. “Cats show affection through headbutts; it’s also how they claim others. If a cat ever starts headbutting you or brushing their face along you then you know they like you and think of you as one of theirs. I guess Tony didn’t want me to get the wrong impression.”

Bucky shrugged. “Maybe.”

“He is okay though, right?” Pepper asked. “I know he’s been stressed out and this situation isn’t ideal, but he has been eating and running around a lot, right?”

Bucky nodded, taking a few cautious steps toward Pepper. “Yeah. Rambunctious as hell. Bites a lot too.”

Pepper snickered. “He’s always like that when he’s in his cat form. He always has so much energy and he just doesn’t know what to do with it, so he plays. Just wait until two in the morning; he’ll be singing in the hallway for hours.”

Bucky groaned. “Fantastic.”

Pepper giggled. “It’s really cute, albeit frustrating when you have a meeting at six and you have to be awake at four.”

Bucky eyed Pepper. “You really do care about him.”

Pepper scoffed as she rose to her feet. “Did I not just say that?”

“You love him. So why did you break up with him?”

Pepper held her head high at the question. “That is a personal matter that you are not privy to, Mr. Barnes; however, I will grant you this: love isn’t always enough.”

“But it’s enough to make you come check on the guy even when you’re trying to put some distance between you two,” Bucky pressed.

Pepper brushed down a wrinkle in her shirt and headed for the elevator. “I really must be going. I only came by to make sure Tony was doing well. It’s obvious that he is, so I will leave him in your capable hands.”

The elevator opened and Pepper stepped inside. She pivoted so she faced Bucky. “Oh, and Mr. Barnes, please remember what I said about the lawyers.”

The elevator doors closed.

A soft meow came from just behind Bucky’s feet.

Bucky craned his neck around and spotted Tony hiding behind him.

“Not bad, Tony. You have excellent taste in women.”

Tony purred in agreement.


	5. Chapter 5

Bucky woke to the sounds of pitiful wailing. He blinked and grumbled as he took in his surroundings, his brain stalling for a moment as he tried to recall why he was sleeping on Tony’s couch. Once his brain caught up, he sat up and shoved himself off the couch. He rubbed the heel of his palm against his eye and scratched his belly as he trudged to Tony’s bedroom.

Bucky stopped in front of the door. He slumped and bumped his forehead against it.

“Sergeant, would you like into Tony’s bedroom? He’s showing signs of a nightmare. I’ve already engaged stage one protocols to wake him, but they seem to have no affect. I will initiate stage two protocols unless you’d like to make an attempt.”

Bucky grumbled and weakly slammed his fist on the door.

“Is that a yes, Sergeant?”

Bucky nodded and grumbled.

The door slid open and Bucky stumbled into the room.

Curled in the middle of the bed was a black bundle of fur that wouldn’t stop yowling.

Bucky sneered and flopped onto the bed.

The resulting jolt cut off Tony’s yowls.

Tony’s eyes flew open and glowed in the dark.

Bucky grunted and closed his eyes. He breathed deep and tensed as Tony’s scent filled his nostrils.

Bucky jumped off the bed and scooted two steps back.

A growl filled the back of his throat as he scanned the room for a potential threat.

He’d entered another shifter’s den, and not just any part of their den, but the place that was theirs alone: their bedroom. The room was thick with Tony’s scent.

Tony meowed, breaking Bucky out of his panic.

Tony sat in the middle of the bed and stared at Bucky. His tail swished.

“Sorry, got to get out of here.” Bucky pivoted and beelined it for the door.

Tony meowed after him.

A soft thunk alerted Bucky to Tony jumping off the bed, and the barely there soft patter of Tony’s paws told him that Tony was following him.

Bucky hurried to the couch and threw himself onto it. He rubbed his face against the arm and soaked in his scent. His body relaxed. He sighed as his muscles went loose.

A trill was Bucky’s only warning before Tony jumped onto the couch, right in front of Bucky’s abdomen. The spot put Tony on the edge of the couch, but Tony didn’t appear to mind.

Tony circled his newfound spot then dropped down and curled in on himself.

“What are you doing?” Bucky huffed out.

Tony purred and closed his eyes.

“You have your own bed,” Bucky said.

Tony flexed his front left paw and kneaded the couch cushion as his purr strengthened in volume.

Bucky shook his head in disbelief. “Fine. Stay there. Just don’t be made at me if I crush you in my sleep or if I knock you off the couch.”

Tony didn’t say or do anything.

Bucky wondered if Tony had already fallen asleep.

Sighing one more time, Bucky closed his eyes and let his mind drift until slumber finally came for him.

* * *

Bucky was cleaning up after breakfast when FRIDAY announced that Steve was coming up the elevator.

Bucky frowned and finished drying off the bowl he’d eaten his cereal out of. He set the bowl aside and headed for the elevator.

The doors parted and Steve strolled into the penthouse. His gaze immediately found Bucky’s, and Steve smiled. “Good, you look like your survived the night.”

Bucky pointed at Tony who was still asleep on the couch. “I think he barely did. I was half on top of him when I woke up this morning.”

Steve eyes widened and he stared at Tony. “He slept with you?”

Tony cracked one eye open and glared at Steve.

“I don’t think Tony likes your tone.” Bucky went over to the couch and plopped himself on it. He scooped Tony up and held him in his lap. Tony purred and gnawed on Bucky’s fingertips while Bucky scratched Tony’s ears with his metal hand.

“You two seem…content,” Steve hesitated to say.

Bucky grunted his agreement. “Why are you here, Steve? You couldn’t really have been that worried that Tony and I would drive each nuts or try to kill each other.”

Steve’s cheery attitude dropped and his face went stony. “I didn’t want to start off your day with bad news, but a few hours ago, Loki escaped SHIELD custody.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Has anyone ever been able to contain him for long? He’s an escape artist.”

Steve nodded in agreement. “I wanted to make sure you and Tony were safe.”

“You could have just called.”

“Forgive my paranoia when dealing with someone as powerful as Loki. I wanted to see you two with my own eyes.”

Tony stopped nibbling on Bucky’s fingers and batted Bucky’s hand away. Bucky released Tony, and Tony flopped onto his side. Tony kicked Bucky in the stomach while he washed his face.

“Tony is fine and happy,” Bucky stated.

“I see,” Steve spoke for the second with hesitation within five minutes of arrival.

“Something wrong?” Bucky asked, tone innocent and curious when internally he was already analyzing everything Steve had said and done so far and was picking it apart to see what was making his friend tick. That was assuming this really was his friend in front of him. It would be just like Loki to come to him disguised as Steve to tell him about his escape then to catch Bucky unaware when he wasn’t looking.

“I’m still not used to it.” Steve looked at Tony as he spoke. His fingers twitched, and Steve’s mouth moved like he was trying to keep himself from biting his bottom lip like a pouting child.

Bucky thought back to the other day. “You know you can just ask Tony if it’s okay to pet him.”

Steve went pink in the face.

Tony stopped washing his face and perked up.

“I-uh…” Steve began.

Tony sat up and purred, his amber gaze locked on Steve.

Bucky chuckled. “That means he wants you to pet him.”

Steve tensed. “Are you sure?” He asked Bucky. Steve then quickly shook his head and redirected his question at Tony. “Are you sure? I understand if you don’t want to be treated like a pet. People tend to treat you like one when your shifted form is considered a domicile animal.”

Tony trilled and curled his tail in a beckoning manner. He purred louder.

The corner of Steve’s lips curled into a shy smile. He slowly approached. He hovered his hand over Tony’s head.

Tony headbutted Steve’s hand.

Steve lit up like the Fourth of July. He stroked Tony, and Tony sounded like the happiest little engine with the way he purred.

Tony’s tail swished the whole time Steve petted him, but then something about his posture and weight shifted. Steve didn’t seem to notice, but Bucky did, and he eyed Tony apprehensively.

Tony purred extra loud as he launched onto his hind legs, wrapped his front paws around Steve’s wrist and clamped his teeth onto Steve’s hand.

Steve startled and jumped away, yanking Tony out of Bucky’s lap.

For the first time in his life, Bucky saw a cat land flat on its face, and he was torn between laughing and bending down to check on Tony.

Tony meowed angrily at Steve as he climbed onto his paws.

Bucky nudged Tony with his foot. “Don’t complain. You scared him.”

Tony glared at Bucky.

“It’s what you deserve after all the biting you do.”

Tony growled.

Bucky growled back, the rumble soft and playful.

Tony raised his head high and sashayed away from Bucky and Steve.

“Haughty little thing,” Bucky mumbled.

Steve rubbed his hand.

Bucky reached out for Steve’s hand. “Did he get you good? He usually just nips.”

Steve flushed and dropped his hand. “It’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting it. No broken skin, and even if there was the serum would take care of it.”

“How about your wrist? He grabbed you tight.”

“No claws,” Steve answered. He cleared his throat. “Anyway, Loki.”

Bucky sat up a little straighter. “What about him? Do you need my help tracking him down?”

“Almost the opposite.” Steve eyed the coffee table in front of the couch. He cautiously lowered himself onto it, testing how well it handled his weight before fully settling on it. He looked Bucky in the eye. “Loki knows about Tony’s condition, as you know, so he might try to take advantage.”

“Seems kind of silly that Loki would care one bit about Tony being a cat,” Bucky argued.

“He’s still Tony,” Steve pointed out. “Even if he can’t use his suit right now or build weapons, he’s an asset to the team and someone all of us care about.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow at Steve.

Steve huffed in exasperation. “You know just because we haven’t been good about reaching out to him doesn’t mean we don’t care.”

“I’m aware,” Bucky said.

“Then please spare me the condescending look.”

“You must have imagined it.”

“Just like I’m imagining the cat poised behind your head.”

Bucky blinked. Steve words had thrown him, but once he processed them, Bucky craned his head around.

A small, moist, black nose pressed against Bucky’s, and two curious, amber eyes pierced Bucky.

Bucky and Tony held the pose for a moment, Bucky unsure what to do.

“You’re a weird cat,” Bucky finally broke down and said.

Tony proceeded to use Bucky’s shoulder as a step between the back of the couch and the couch cushions below.

Tony curled up next to Bucky and rested his chin on Bucky’s knee.

“Weirdest cat,” Bucky said, but scratched Tony’s ears anyway. “So Loki may come for Tony. Does that mean I will be getting back up here?”

Steve frowned. “That is still being debated.”

Bucky hit Steve with a deadpan stare.

Steve held up his hands in a defensive manner. “I am for you having back up in case Loki does come in search of Tony, but Fury, Hill, and the others are still discussing how to handle the matter. We don’t know for sure if Loki will go after Tony.”

“It’s just a possibility.”

Steve nodded. “Correct. We don’t know what his plan is, or if he even has a plan. He might just go into hiding now. Also, with Rhodey coming back soon, if you’re willing to stay after his arrival, then instead him taking over, you two can be each other’s back up. It makes SHIELD wonder if it’s worth sending someone else right now.”

“But you feel that a second person would be good,” Bucky stated.

“Yes.”

Bucky held Steve’s gaze, willing Steve to see sense.

Steve frowned. “What?”

Bucky huffed. “Maybe you’ve been livin’ in the facility for too long, but since when has SHIELD had complete and total control over the Avengers? I thought the Avengers were always supposed to be a separate group—albeit supported by SHIELD.”

“SHIELD created and funded the Avengers.”

“So? Aren’t we are own team?” Bucky asked, truly perplexed. Yes, SHIELD and the Avengers were intimately intertwined and the lines sometimes blurred, but Bucky’s understanding was that Avengers were their own pack and could decide who they needed/wanted to help. It’s why the Avengers hadn’t fallen apart when SHIELD had. The Avengers were separate.

Steve’s brows knitted in thought.

Bucky rested his hand on top of Tony’s back. Tony made a content sound, but otherwise watched Steve with wide eyes.

Steve sighed. “You’re right. Still, we need to work with SHIELD.”

“How is sending one of your pack to look after another member for twenty-four hours going against SHIELD? Or does SHIELD think it will be longer, because as you just pointed out, if I stay and Rhodey gets here soon, you really only need one more person until Rhodey’s arrival.” Bucky let out an annoyed breath. “Make it Thor or Vision. Both are heavy hitters and can fly. They’ll provide good back up for me and will also be able to leave at a moment’s notice if Loki or someone else causes trouble.”

“’Pack,’” Steve mumbled wistfully. He took a deep breath and stared off distantly, mulling over Bucky’s words. He shook himself out of his reverie, his gaze burning with renewed determination. “You’re right. I’ll stay with you and Tony for now.” Steve stood up. “I’ll contact the others and see if I can get Vision or Thor over here in the next hour or so.”

Steve looked around the room. “Any place a guy can make a phone call in private around here?”

“There is the bathroom,” Bucky answered.

“Allow me, Captain,” FRIDAY chirped and the elevator door opened. “If you step inside I can take you down to your floor.”

“My floor?” Steve echoed.

“Yes, Captain. Boss and Potts designed it specifically for you in mind. The walls have extra insulation to muffle sounds between other floors and rooms. It also has an excellent view of the city. Ms. Potts also picked out a few art pieces that were popular in the forties. You may explore it while you make your phone call.”

Steve eyed the elevator like it would deposit him in the depths of hell and not on a floor tailored to meet his needs.

Steve took a deep, calming breath then smiled. “All right. Let’s see what Tony and Ms. Potts created.”

“That’s the spirit,” FRIDAY cheered.

Steve stepped into the elevator, looking nervous, and suddenly Bucky saw a twig-like Steve in his mind’s eye. A fumbling and scared Steve trying to ask out a beautiful dame, only to be shot down before he could finish his sentence.

Bucky blinked and the image disappeared.

By then so had Steve.

Tony pawed at Bucky.

Bucky looked down.

Tony meowed at Bucky and looked at him with soulful eyes.

“What?” Bucky asked.

Tony meowed again.

“Hungry?”

Tony looked away.

Okay. Not hungry.

“Then what do you want?”

Tony’s nose twitched. He hopped down from the couch and paced the area in front of the elevator.

“You want to go outside?”

Tony glared.

Right, Tony did not like people seeing him in this form, so he probably wasn’t too keen on going out.

“Something about Steve?”

Tony huffed and lay down in front of the elevator. His ears were pressed low on his skull.

Bucky didn’t like that at all. “Hey, keep that up and I’ll come over there in my wolf form and bat you around a bit.”

Tony acted like he didn’t hear Bucky.

Bucky grumbled and took off his shirt then his pants and boxers. He transformed and padded over to Tony.

Tony didn’t move.

Bucky nudged Tony with his nose.

Tony rumbled, the sound not happy like a purr but not quite a growl either.

Bucky nudged him again and Tony flopped onto his side.

Bucky burrowed his face in Tony’s belly.

Tony front paws latched onto Bucky’s muzzle. He kicked out his back legs, hitting the air.

Tony licked Bucky’s nose.

Bucky snorted and shook his head.

He pushed Tony around until he got the cat on his stomach. Bucky lay down, Tony positioned between his front paws. Bucky rested his chin on top of Tony’s head.

Tony grumbled. He hit the side of Bucky’s face with his tail.

Bucky licked the top of Tony’s head in revenge.

Tony yowled and flailed. He rolled onto his back so he could grab Bucky’s face again. He kicked at Bucky’s chest in reprimand, but a few seconds later he was licking Bucky’s chin.

Bucky did the closest thing to a chuckle in his wolf form he could then snuffled Tony’s belly.

Tony kicked at him once more, but soon clamed down. He flipped back onto his belly and curled up between Bucky’s paws.

Bucky rested his head on top of Tony.

Ten minutes later, Steve returned and almost had a heart attack when Tony popped his head out from under Bucky and meowed at him. Bucky transformed just so he could laugh at Steve.

* * *

“Ah yes, even in this smaller form you are quite a fine warrior.” Thor beamed as he held Tony high in the air and Tony kicked him on the head. Tony wiggled in Thor’s two-handed grasp.

Bucky internally cringed while outwardly he assessed the situation.

Tony wasn’t growling or bringing out the claws, but there was a certain frenzied quality to his movements. It made Bucky wonder if perhaps Tony wanted to use his claws and teeth, but he because some part of him knew Thor was only playing with him, Tony did not want to unleash his “weapons” on Thor.

Bucky bit the inside of his cheek.

Thor chuckled lifted Tony high. “Yes, a true warrior no matter what your form.”

Tony growled. He’d stopped kicking, but the claws had come out from his hind paws.

Bucky growled low too. “Put him down, Thor.”

Thor startled, not used to hearing Bucky’s growl and gravel tone outside of battle or moments of extreme ire.

Thor glanced between Tony and Bucky.

After a moment, Thor set Tony down on the floor and stroked his back. “Forgive me, Tony. I had heard from others that your play is quite aggressive in this form and I had assumed your kicks were just brotherly brawling. I did not realize that you wished to be put down.”

Tony trilled. He wrapped himself between Thor’s legs, but made a point of not brushing up against the Asgardian.

At least it was an improvement.

Bucky sighed. He skimmed over the menus Tony had showed him the other day. Thor’s enthusiastic nature was why he’d secretly been hoping that Steve would send Vision. Bucky liked Thor, but the Asgardian had the tendency of forgetting his own strength when excited, and he also tended to get distracted easily. He had the energy of a puppy too.

“I am glad that we have our shield brother Bucky here. He appears quite apt in the language of felines.”

Bucky’s brain faltered. “I don’t understand cats.”

Thor grinned. “Don’t be modest. You’ve already demonstrated to me that you understand Tony just fine in this form, and from what Steve told me, he has seen it too. It truly caught us all by surprise, what with the bickering between you and Tony. Also, I believe you Midgardians have an idiom about cats and dogs.”

“We do,” Bucky admitted. He put down the menus, giving up on lunch for the time being as he wrapped his head around what Thor was saying. “I don’t understand cats though. I just understand Tony.”

Tony stared up at Bucky from between Thor’s legs. He scrunched his nose.

Bucky scowled. “What I said is not weird.”

Tony wiggled his nose some more.

Bucky scoffed. “See if I buy you sushi tonight then.”

Tony meowed and dashed up to Bucky. He circled Bucky’s legs and ended his circling with a tiny headbutt to Bucky’s ankle.

Bucky stiffened, Pepper’s words coming back to him.

Tony pushed his ears down and meowed pitifully.

Bucky shook his head. “Stop trying to be cute with me.”

Tony cried out again.

Thor’s happy expression melted into one of utter sadness. “What is wrong, Tony? It sounds as if your heart is breaking.”

Tony faced Thor and let out another sorrow-filled meow.

Thor put his fist over his heart. “I see.”

Bucky blinked. “Really? Cause unless you see him acting like a baby because I won’t buy him sushi, I don’t see what you’re seeing.”

“His love for you runs deep,” Thor said seriously.

“…What?”

Thor sighed and swooned like teenager reading their first romance novel. “His love for you runs so deep, it is like a wound to his soul.”

Tony nodded and let out a long, low meow.

Thor returned the nod. “Yes, I know my friend. Such a well of deep emotions is a burden to bare, especially when the one you love would be so callous as to deny you the simple pleasures of raw fish. Does he not know you would kill a mouse for him? Or perhaps a bird if you could find one within your reach?”

Bucky crossed his arms over his chest. “You two are messing with me.”

Thor shook his head. “Why would I lie about such a passionate and selfless love?”

“’Selfless?’” Bucky exclaimed. He gestured to Tony. “He wants me to buy him sushi! How is that selfless?”

Thor opened his arms as if to hug Tony. “Come, Tony. We shall mourn Bucky’s callousness together in the traditional Midgardian way. Popcorn, movies, and ice cream.”

Tony trilled and pranced over to Thor, who led the way to the TV.

Bucky dashed after them. “He can’t have popcorn, and I swear if you do more than let him lick the spoon of your **_vanilla_** ice cream, I will kick your Asgardian ass. I am not dealing with a sick cat or a vet.”

“Vanilla and chocolate swirl ice cream it is then,” Thor cheered.

“Thor!”


	6. Chapter 6

Thor and Tony were menaces.

Thor loved to sneak Tony food that was terrible for a cat’s digestive system, and when he’d learned from FRIDAY that Tony exercised by chasing his bots and Bucky around, Thor decided that he wanted to join the fun.

Bucky didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the sight of a grown man being chased by a tiny cat.

The broken tables and chairs would weep if they could though. Oh, and the shattered vase and picture frames too.

If it weren’t for the Loki threat and the fact that Tony refused to go outside while in full transformation, Bucky would have sent them out the wreak havoc on the world.

At least Bucky could take comfort in the fact that they were playing video games now.

Bucky sighed as he dabbed at the carpet with a wet towel to see if he could pick up any more glass shards from the broken vase. He’d swept the area multiple times and had already gotten most of the vase, but he wanted to be sure he’d cleaned up as many shards as possible before resorting to the vacuum. Even if Tony could afford to buy another vacuum if Bucky broke the one he owned by sucking up too many pieces of glass, Bucky wanted to at least try to get up every single shard before unleashing the vacuum.

Thor guffawed. “Tony, you are amazing. Even without opposable thumbs you still manage to beat me at this wondrous game. I applaud your talent.”

Tony meowed and button mashed his controller.

Bucky huffed as he stood up. He glanced over at Thor and Tony. Thor was sprawled across the floor, taking up twice as much space as the average person, while Tony sat on his haunches with his front paws splayed on the controller in front of him.

Bucky went to kitchen and set aside his damp cloth on the counter. “FRIDAY, where does Tony keep the vacuum?”

Tony’s head snapped at Bucky.

“I believe there is one kept in the closet in the hall. It will be the first door on the right,” FRIDAY answered.

“Thanks.” Bucky headed toward the closet.

“Where are you going, Tony?” Thor paused the video game.

Bucky glanced at Tony, and saw that his pack mate had stopped playing his video game. Tony was tucked against the side of the couch and watching Bucky intently.

Bucky didn’t say anything, but he kept an ear out for Tony as he retrieved the vacuum from the closet. After some fumbling and a quick search for the closest electrical outlet, Bucky hooked up the vacuum and turned it on.

Tony’s body tensed and he lowered himself to the floor, his eyes locked on the vacuum.

“I swear if you attack the vacuum, Tony…” Bucky left his threat dangling as he cleaned the spot where the vase had fallen.

Bucky had barely run the vacuum over the spot before Tony launched himself at it.

Tony pounced on top of the vacuum then bounced off it like he was a rabbit. He skidded across the floor, going against his natural momentum so he faced the vacuum. Tony made a mad dash for the vacuum again, and Bucky yanked it out of his path.

Tony tumbled head first onto the ground and rolled onto his feet.

He blinked up at Bucky, stunned that he’d missed his target.

Tony meowed at Bucky.

Bucky shook his head and went on cleaning unperturbed. “That’s what you get for making the vacuum part of your endless game of tag.”

Tony watched, utterly fascinated by the vacuum as Bucky cleaned.

“Interesting,” Thor said. The Asgardian had moved to the couch and was watching Tony and Bucky from the back of it. “My knowledge of shifters on your world is very limited, but I thought shifters such as you and Tony retain some of your higher brain when in animal form. I would never picture Tony as a human having such an invested interest in a vacuum.”

Tony’s ears flattened and his shoulders bunched. He looked away from the vacuum, his tailing twitching.

Bucky turned off the vacuum and leaned it up against the wall.

“We do, but there are just some things that we can’t help when we are fully transformed.” Bucky bent down and picked Tony up, earning a surprised sound from Tony. Mindful of his strength, Bucky arranged it so Tony rested his front paws on Bucky’s shoulder while Bucky supported the bulk of Tony’s weight at his bottom. The position gave Bucky easy access to massage Tony’s ears and stroke his back. Bucky scratched Tony’s ears. “Tony has always been fascinated with tech, and considering he spends hours chasing robots when he is in his cat form, it’s not really surprising that a vacuum appeals to his playful side.”

Tony purred and sank against Bucky, enjoying the attention.

Thor watched the entire exchange, his eyes glimmering with excitement as he absorbed the information and took in the interaction between Bucky and Tony.

Bucky stroked Tony’s back, causing Tony his tail to wrap around Bucky’s wrist.

“The bond between you two is truly beautiful, my friends.”

Bucky startled at Thor’s words, but soon calmed. He rested his hand on Tony’s spine, cradling Tony to him. “I don’t know about beautiful, but yeah, I guess there is a bond there. I guess that’s what happens when you spend hours chasing each other around and taking naps together, right?” Bucky asked Tony.

Tony stared at Bucky with wide-eyes.

Bucky met his gaze.

A moment later, Tony headbutted Bucky’s neck.

Bucky tensed as alarms blared in his head.

There were two alarms going off. One alarm was related to what Pepper had told him about cats. This was the second time Tony had headbutted him. Bucky had brushed the first time off as something minor, or perhaps even an accident, but Tony doing so twice made it clear in the action was intentional.

The other alarm going off in Bucky’s head had more to do with Bucky’s own biology than Tony; although, Tony had triggered it. Letting someone close to his neck brought out his own instincts, which told him not to let anyone near such a vulnerable area. It was a great sign of trust to let anyone near his neck and throat.

So far when Tony had gone near his neck, it had been in play, and Bucky’s instincts hadn’t been triggered, but now they had.

He didn’t know if it was because Tony’s mouth was near his neck—tricking his hindbrain into thinking Tony was going to bite him—or if it was something else. Letting someone near his neck was a sign of trust and submission, and Tony’s headbutting was a sign of affection. Perhaps the combination of the two meanings was doing something to Bucky’s hindbrain? But the result should be far more positive then, shouldn’t it?

“Bucky, is something wrong?” Thor asked.

Bucky blinked.

Tony had pulled his head away from Bucky’s neck.

Tony cocked his head and examined Bucky.

Bucky took a deep breath and released it. He stroked Tony’s head. “Everything is fine. Just some instincts kicking in.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Thor asked.

Bucky shook his head and strolled over to the couch. He eyed the video game that was paused on the TV screen. “Just hand me Tony’s controller. I think it’s time I finally get to have some fun, instead of cleaning up after you two.”

* * *

Bucky woke to the sound of the elevator rising and Tony jumping off the couch. Bucky grumbled and squinted through the darkness. It felt like he’d only been asleep for an hour. Also, what the heck had Tony been doing sleeping on the couch with him again? Did he not appreciate the fact that he had a large and luxury bed that belonged solely to him?

Then again, Bucky might have been biased since his lower lumbar was killing him.

The elevator stopped at the penthouse floor, and Bucky tensed.

Bucky doubted Loki would use the elevator, but stranger things had happened.

Bucky stood up and picked up his gun off the table. He aimed at the elevator doors.

The doors opened and Rhodey startled at the sight of Bucky. “Jesus!” Rhodey threw his hands up. “Are you trying to kill me?” Rhodey blanched. “I really shouldn’t ask that to the guy pointing a gun at me.”

Tony meowed and circled Rhodey’s ankles. He vigorously brushed his cheek up against Rhodey, his purrs a loud and happy rumble.

“You’re early,” Bucky stated. “FRIDAY, scan him to make sure he’s Rhodey.”

“Already done, Sergeant. James Rhodes’ identity confirmed.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to have my identity confirmed. Now will you drop the gun?”

Bucky quirked an eyebrow at Rhodey. “That wouldn’t be proper gun safety.”

Rhodey laughed drily. “Very funny. Gun, please.”

Bucky put on the gun’s safety and lowered it.

Rhodey sighed.

Tony meowed at Rhodey.

A grin broke out across Rhodey’s face. He kneeled down and scratched Tony’s head. “Hey, buddy, pulling off the fur I see. We really should take you to a bar some time in this form. Do you know how many guys and girls you could get like this?”

Tony growled and swatted at Rhodey’s hand.

Rhodey chuckled. “I’m teasing. Besides, you know it’s true. You’re adorable in this form.”

Tony bristled and hissed.

“Love you too.” Rhodey rose to his feet and finally stepped out of the elevator, Tony following close behind. “Thanks for taking care of Tony.”

Bucky shrugged. “It wasn’t that hard.”

Rhodey chuckled. “Say that after you’ve had to take care of him in his human form. He may have claws in this form, but his never-ending sass is he greatest weapon.”

Tony lifted his head high and waltzed past Rhodey. He plopped himself next to Bucky and made a show of not looking at Rhodey.

“I think you’ve been rejected,” Bucky said.

Rhodey threw a hand over his heart. “It hurts, but I accept it.” A yawn escaped Rhodey. “Sorry. It’s… FRIDAY, what time is it?”

“3 a.m.”

“Yeah, it’s that time, and I have been flying all night just to get here, so how about the two of us discuss switching out babysitting duties in the morning?”

“Did Steve not tell you about the change in plans?” Bucky asked.

Rhodey grumbled and rubbed his head. “Right something about Loki and extra guards or something. Too tired to remember.” Rhodey yawned again and covered his mouth. “I’ll be in Tony’s room.”

“You don’t want your own room?” Bucky asked.

Rhodey shrugged. “I always sleep with Tony when he’s a cat.” Rhodey headed toward Tony’s room. “Come on, Tones. Let’s get some shut eye.”

Tony’s tail twitched. He looked up at Bucky then looked at Rhodey. His tail twitched again.

Rhodey paused in the hallway and looked back at Tony. “Something wrong?”

Tony flattened one ear and hunched his shoulders.

“Just go.” Bucky waved Tony toward Rhodey. “Sleep in the comfy bed.”

Tony took a step toward Rhodey and paused, once again looking back at Bucky.

Bucky rolled his eyes. He tapped the back of Tony’s hind paws with his foot to encourage Tony to move.

Tony took two steps then sat on the floor.

Rhodey shook his head. “Okay, I’ll leave the bedroom door open for you, Tony. Just do whatever you want to do.” Rhodey looked up from Tony and shrugged at Bucky. “Cats. What can you do?” Rhodey then disappeared down the hall.

Bucky stared at Tony then shook his head. He headed for the couch. “You’re an idiot. Go sleep on the bed.”

Bucky threw himself down on the couch and closed his eyes.

He fell asleep moments later. He was awakened again in the middle of the night though when Tony jumped on the couch and curled up next to his stomach.

Bucky huffed, taking in a whiff of Tony. Rhodey’s scent had intermingled with Tony’s, telling Bucky that Tony had indeed joined Rhodey in bed, but for whatever reason he was now joining Bucky. Bucky sighed, not understanding Tony’s motives and not really caring. He fell asleep listening to the soft snuffling of Tony’s breathing.

* * *

“Right. Now I remember what Steve said.” Rhodey stirred around the cereal in his bowl of milk. “On the one hand, I find the idea of Loki going after a cat ridiculous and hilarious. On the other hand, Loki going after Tony is a very real possibility, and I’m not letting anyone near my buddy. I’m glad to have you on double guard duty with me.”

Bucky grunted his agreement as he gulped down a mouthful orange juice. He almost spat it out and into Rhodey’s face when Tony hopped from Rhodey’s lap into Bucky’s at the breakfast table. Bucky swallowed hard. “Jesus, I’m going to have a heart attack.”

Thor sighed forlornly as he munched on his toast and sausages. “It saddens me that I will soon depart. I very much enjoyed my time here, and the bedchambers Tony and Pepper designed were exquisite, even if they could never measure up to the golden halls of Asgard.

Tony growled and swiped at Thor’s knee under the table.

Bucky raised his arm to block Tony’s access to Thor and petted Tony’s head with his free hand. “Tony will not miss you.”

“I do not believe that for a moment.” Thor smiled down at Tony. “Isn’t that right, Tony?”

Tony hissed at Thor.

“That’s what you get for insulting his work,” Rhodey said.

“It was not an insult; it was a compliment.”

“Sure it was.” Bucky snatched a piece of sausage off Thor’s plate. He broke it in half and offered half of it to Tony.

Tony nibbled away at the meat.

“Sirs,” FRIDAY said, “Steve Rogers is on his way up the elevator.”

Bucky frowned. “Does he just not know how to use a phone anymore?” Bucky could understand Steve’s desire to check up on everyone, but Steve’s visits were getting a tad ridiculous.

“Considering his elevated heart rate and his attire, it appears Steve Rogers was participating in a morning jog and has decided to include a visit on his run.”

The elevator opened then and Steve stepped out, his chest heaving from running and his T-shirt soaked in sweat. “Something smells good.”

“That would be Thor’s food. Rhodey is sticking to cereal.” Bucky wrinkled his nose.

“Don’t give me that face, Barnes. I’m still half asleep and do not have the proper brain power or patience to make a healthy meal. I’ll take my cheap and easy to get calories, thank you very much.”

Steve snuck up behind Thor and snagged a piece of toast off the god’s plate.

Thor actually looked indignant. “I’ll have you know, I made this breakfast myself and I do not appreciate everyone stealing from my plate. This would never happen on Asgard.”

“You’re a prince on Asgard. Here, you are just a commoner,” Rhodey said.

Steve scoffed and went to the kitchen. He pulled out a cup and headed toward the sink for water. “Not that common.”

Thor beamed. “At least Steve recognizes my status.”

“He just recognizes that you are an alien and therefore in no way common,” Bucky said.

“So checking up on us, Steve?” Bucky asked.

It was hard to see since Steve’ s skin was already slightly pink from his run, but Steve’s cheeks turned a shade darker. “I worry, okay? Tony’s vulnerable right now, and you… you’ve always been my pack brother—my second. I don’t like leaving you alone.”

Rhodey snorted. “Glad to hear how important Thor and I are to you.”

Thor nodded solemnly. “Yes, this is quite troubling news.”

“You know what I mean,” Steve said, taking a drink of water.

“I do not,” Thor said petulantly. “In Asgard—”

“Thor, no one believes you’re that naïve about Midgardian culture,” Steve deadpanned.

Thor chortled. “Forgive me. I do enjoy a good prank or two.”

Tony nipped at Bucky’s fingers, trying to get the last of the sausage juices.

Bucky grumbled and relinquished the second half of the sausage to Tony. “I swear if you die because of high cholesterol after this, I am going to be so infuriated.”

Tony purred.

“You’re looking pretty content there, Tony.” Steve took a sip of his water.

Tony ignored Steve in favor of the sausage.

Rhodey shrugged. “He’s in a cute guy’s lap and getting fed food. Of course he is content.”

Steve almost choked on his water. “Cute?”

Bucky mock pouted. “Are you saying I am not cute?”

Steve shook his head. “Just…I mean, Bucky may be attractive, but the relationship between…” Steve stared at Bucky and Tony. “You know what? Never mind. I have no idea what I am talking about.”

Tony purred louder.

“I think Tony liked hearing you say that,” Bucky announced.

“I’m sure he did.” Steve rolled his eyes. “All I was really trying to say was: I was curious if Tony had tried to transform back into his human form at all? He’s in his cat form due to stress, but he doesn’t appear to be that way any more so maybe he can change back now?”

Bucky looked down at Tony.

Tony flicked his ears and tail.

He dropped down from Bucky’s lap and lay on the floor. For several seconds he just stayed there, waiting. When nothing happened, Tony stood up and jumped into Bucky’s lap again.

“Guess that answers that,” Rhodey said.

Steve nodded. “Okay. Not great, but at least we gave it a shot.” Steve chugged down the rest of his water and then washed his cup in the sink. “Thor, when we get to SHIELD Fury’s going to try and have you question a few of the aliens he has in lock up, see if they know anything that could help us locate Loki.”

Thor nodded and shoved the last sausage in his mouth. He stood and set his empty plate in the sink. “Then let us be off.”

“Wash your dishes,” Rhodey and Bucky said in unison.

Thor startled. He sheepishly grinned. “I forgot.”

Rhodey and Bucky shared a look then went back to enjoy their breakfast, or in Bucky’s case, the last of his juice.

Once Thor cleaned and dried his plate, Steve and the Asgardian headed for the exit. “Remember to call if there is any trouble,” Steve said.

“Yes, mom,” Bucky said.

“I’d say ‘don’t sass me,’ but then I’d be proving your point,” Steve said as he stepped into the elevator.”

“Love you too, punk.”

The elevator shut on Thor and Steve.

“I think you just melted my icy heart a little,” Rhodey deadpanned.

Bucky feinted a kick at Rhodey’s shins.

Tony jumped off of Bucky’s lap and leaped into Rhodey’s. He headbutted Rhodey in the chest.

“Oh, so now you're my best friend again?” Rhodey teased and petted Tony’s head.

Tony purred.

“See, if it were me, he’d bite me,” Bucky said.

“He likes you,” Rhodey cooed.

“You and him have a very different definition of the word ‘like.’”

Rhodey smirked.

Bucky let out a huff of annoyance, and moved to get out of his seat.

“I know I’ve already said it, but thanks,” Rhodey said. “For looking after him.”

Bucky paused, debating if he should get up or stay.

Bucky lowered himself back into his chair. “You’re Tony’s best friend and you seem to like living here, so why don’t you?”

Rhodey shoulders slumped and his expression sagged with weariness. “I love Tony and vice versa, but the problem is when we live together for long periods of time we tend to revert back to our old college selves, and we get into a lot of trouble. Usually that can be mitigated if there is someone else there to remind us that: ‘No, it would not be a cool idea to sneak into a certain board member’s office and glue all of the furniture to the ceiling.’”

Rhodey played with Tony’s ears, his expression turning even more crestfallen. “It was great when Pepper was around. We could live together for weeks, and she’d usually catch on to when we’d start thinking up pranks or whatever dumb shit we had in mind and remind us that we are adults, and should therefore act like it.”

Rhodey smiled. “Although, there was one time Pepper was in on a prank. Tells you what a really asshole the prankee must have been for her to encourage Tony and me.”

Bucky frowned. “That’s a rather weak reason.”

Rhodey snorted. “Say that after a video of you and Tony in dresses singing ‘We are the Champions’ while drunk and trying to perform a can-can end up on the Internet. I almost lost my job because of that. It was only because Tony refused to sell his weapons to the military if they fired me that they didn’t.”

Bucky cringed. “I see.”

Rhodey snickered. “We should invite fury to live here. If he’d accept I know I could move in without fear a repeat performance of that horrible can-can.”

“Because the can-can was the worst part of that night,” Bucky teased.

“God no. That was the high heels.”

Tony meowed in agreement.

Bucky stared at Rhodey and Tony in disbelief. “I am torn between wanting to see the two of you drunk and never allowing you two near alcohol ever again.”

“Hey, Tony rocked those heels.”

Tony trilled.

“Who is crazy enough to wear heels when drunk? You two are lucky you didn’t break your necks.”

Rhodey threw back his head and chortled. “Wow. I never expected to hear that come out of your mouth. You should get out of SHIELD more often. The fresh air does wonders for your personality.”

Bucky paused at Rhodey’s comment.

He was behaving more openly, wasn’t he?

Bucky bowed his head as he mulled over his revelation. Perhaps the change in atmosphere was doing him some good, and if so maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to stick around after Loki was dealt with or Tony transformed back into his human form.

Bucky put a pin in the idea for the moment.

Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about moving, and he’d never received an official invite from Tony to stay beyond this moment and time. Plus, he might just be jumping to conclusions.

It was however an interesting thought.

“You okay?” Rhodey asked. “You got your serious face on.”

“Yeah,” Bucky mumbled. “Just thinking.”


	7. Chapter 7

Bucky had been in the middle of a shower when the loudest and most piercing alarm went off in the tower. Bucky didn’t even turn off the water, he leaped out of the shower and snatched a towel of the rack as he raced out of the bathroom. He ran down the hall and almost crashed into Rhodey, who had Tony clutched in his arms.

“What’s going on?” Bucky demanded to know.

“It appears an alien invasion,” FRIDAY stated as she pulled up several holographic images of New York. Just like with Loki’s first attack on New York years ago, a portal had opened in the sky and hundreds of the bird-beak aliens from a few days ago were pouring out of it.

“Is Loki behind this?” Bucky asked.

“Unconfirmed. There is an incoming call from Nick Fury. Should I patch him through?”

“Yes,” Rhodey answered before Bucky could.

“War Machine,” Nick said without any preamble. “I need you on the frontlines. Soldier, standby for now and guard Iron Man.”

“Understood,” Rhodey answered. “Any word on Loki?”

“Negative, which is why Winter Soldier will remain on standby.”

“What about Steve and the others?” Bucky asked.

“I thought you two were soldiers. Soldiers don’t ask questions. They act. Now get your asses in gear before I make you _wish_ that you were dealing with Loki.” The call cut out.

“You heard him,” Rhodey passed Tony to Bucky.

Bucky hugged Tony to his chest, mindful of Tony’s claws.

“Keep an eye out for my best friend?” Rhodey asked.

“You do the same for mine?”

Rhodey nodded and took off for the elevator to get his suit, mumbling something building a Mark Forty-Two version of the armor.

Bucky put Tony down and headed for his bag of clothes and items. He’d managed to squeeze most of his gear inside the bag when he’d come to stay at the tower. In two minutes he was dressed in his battle armor and strapping the last of his guns and knives to his body. When he looked up from doing so, his eyes locked with Tony’s big round ones.

“Enjoy the show?” Bucky asked.

Bucky might have imagined it, but he could have sworn Tony smirked at him.

Bucky plucked Tony off the ground and carried Tony in the crook of his arm.

“FRIDAY, field status?”

“Captain America and Black Widow are surrounded, but defending themselves splendidly against the enemy. Falcon is picking off small groups, while Vision and Scarlet Witch are doing what they can to contain the invaders. Thor appears to be trying to close the portal and War Machine is providing him cover with some assistance from Hawkeye who is covering for everyone else.”

“Do you have a count on the aliens?”

“Only hundreds so far, but at the current rate it will reach thousands if the portal is not closed.”

Bucky eyed the projections of New York FRIDAY had on display. “And still no sign of Loki.”

“None.”

Bucky gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.

He hated being cooped up in the tower while his pack fought without him, but with Loki’s whereabouts unknown, he couldn’t leave Tony alone.

One of the projections of New York showed Vision flying toward the portal.

“What’s he doing?” Bucky asked.

“Assisting Thor it would seem.”

Bucky’s stomach churned as more aliens flooded the sky and landed in the city.

Tony lowered his ears and meowed pitifully.

Bucky looked down at Tony and weighed his options. “I have a stupid idea, if you’re game.”

Tony’s ears perked up.

Taking that as a positive sign, Bucky fiddled with his armor, loosening it just a tad. Carefully he slid Tony under his chest armor and then tightened it so Tony fit snuggly inside. “What do you think?”

Tony swiveled his head then poked it out of the armor. He gophered his head back inside then meowed approvingly.

“All right.” Bucky pulled out one of his guns. “Let’s go then.”

“Sergeant, I believe Fury said he would let you know if you are needed.”

“Fury is not my leader. Besides, at this rate he’ll call for back up.”

“In that case, might I suggest you leave in style?” The elevator opened.

“I don’t think taking an elevator to the ground floor is stylish.” Bucky stepped inside.

“Who said the elevator is how you will exit?” The elevator dropped down the tower and opened to a level Bucky had never been to before, a level that had his inner motorcycle and car enthusiast side drooling. Cars lined the walls of the place, some old and some new, but all of them shiny and beautiful. Among them were a number of equally beautiful motorcycles.

“Tony wasn’t sure what you would like, so he built the black one on the left for you.”

Bucky’s brain stuttered to a halt. “He built _me_ one?”

“You do drive motorcycles, don’t you?”

Bucky looked down at Tony, who was washing his face like they weren’t about to go into battle. “You’re nuts. You’d build a motorcycle for a guy who you bicker with most of the time.”

Tony stared at Bucky.

Bucky shook his head. “Crazy.”

Bucky snapped himself out of his amazement and went to the bike FRIDAY had directed him toward. Now that Bucky was standing in front of the motorcycle he could see that there were many hidden compartments built into, places where he could store an extra gun or knife. He also saw that bike was set up so a modified gun of some sort could be attached to the front (although, Bucky could not find such a gun anywhere inside the bike’s compartments or inside the garage. He did however find some new sniper equipment that was a lot more lighter and compact than anything Bucky was used to).

Flabbergasted, Bucky shook his head again as he pulled the motorcycle out from the group. “So can I just ride out of here, or…”

A section of the wall opened up a wide corridor.

“Follow the path and you’ll be led outside,” FRIDAY stated.

“Genius really thinks of everything,” Bucky mumbled to himself and got on the bike.

One engine roar later, he was blasting through the corridor and out onto city streets.

“What are you doing, Soldier?” Fury’s shouted into Bucky’s ear over the comms.

Bucky swerved around traffic and cut off a truck as he raced toward where the fight was taking place. “I’m just getting a head start on fighting these guys.”

“I did not give you the order to move out. Also, who is taking care of Stark?”

“Relax, he’s with me.”

“He transformed back?”

“No.”

There was silence over the comms.

“Are you telling me you brought a goddamn cat onto the field?”

“No, I’m telling you a brought a feline shifter onto the field. There is a difference.”

“Barnes, you are lucky you are not standing in front of me right now.”

“I could say the same to you. Now you can tell if you want me to act as a sniper or you can send me out to take these guys head on. Either way, feel free to give me a location.”

“Bucky,” Steve’s voice came over the comms.

“Steve,” Bucky said back as he revved the engine and darted between a six wheeler and a pick up. “Sniper or field?”

Steve sighed. “Sniper.”

“Great.”

Two of the small, beaked aliens were trying to tip over a car like a group of dumbass teens trying to tip a cow. Bucky pulled out his gun and shot a couple of rounds into two of the alien’s heads. “I’m on the outskirts of the fight.” Bucky proceeded to give Steve his exact coordinates. “Where do you want me?”

The remaining aliens scattered, but Bucky was able to fire another shot and down one more before they disappeared.

“Just stay where you are and keep these guys from spreading out any farther into the city.”

“Gotcha.” Bucky brought his bike to a stop and surveyed the area for the highest point with the least amount of obstructions. “Too bad you’re still furry,” Bucky mumbled to Tony as he grabbed his sniper equipment out from one of the bike’s compartments. He took off toward his ideal location. “I wouldn’t mind getting a lift. It’s always so awkward when I have to use the elevator.”

Tony meowed.

Bucky jogged into the building, ignoring security, only to have run back to security and demand  that one of the guards give him their pass so he could use the elevator (of course the damn elevator didn’t work without a pass, things were never that simple). Once on the top floor of the building, Bucky set up his station.

Some aliens had already slipped past him while he’d been distracted. He couldn’t take all of them out, but he got most, and listed off the number that had made it past him. Fury promised that he had SHIELD agents already headed Bucky’s way to take care of the ones he’d missed.

Bucky picked off each alien as they encroached the invisible line he’d set up.

Thunder roared and lightning light up the sky.

The portal closed.

Bucky continued shooting down any alien who tried to pass his imaginary line.

Steve ordered Vision and Thor to help corral the aliens toward where Steve and Natasha were fighting. Fury also came over the comms and informed Steve that he also had SHIELD agents helping in the corralling process.

Bucky remained at his location and watched as his aerial teammates flew around and disappeared into the streets and behind buildings as they sent the aliens toward the center of the ring the Avengers were forming.

Occasionally an alien would stumble Bucky’s way and he would take it out, but the aliens headed toward his zone had thinned out. Soon minutes passed without any invaders within Bucky’s line of sight.

“Everything appears clear here,” Bucky said over the comms.

War Machine zoomed passed. “Scanners aren’t picking up anything.” Rhodey said.

“Soldier,” Steve’s voice came over the comms in a commanding tone that had Bucky straightening to attention. “Head toward Widow’s and my location. Apprehend any aliens you come across along the way. War Machine continue to circle around the area and scan for aliens. Some of the ones we’ve apprehended so far have some advanced tech. Makes me nervous, they might have something that could throw off your scanners.”

“Gotcha,” Rhodey said.

“Understood,” Bucky said, and began to pack up his equipment.

“You doing okay down there?” Bucky peeked down into his tactical armor.

Tony meowed up at him, appearing content.

Bucky grunted and headed for the exit.

Once outside, he hopped onto his motorcycle and drove slowly down the streets, keeping an eye out for aliens. Every now and then he glanced at the sky to see if War Machine was still in his area or if he’d left to scan a different zone.

When Bucky glanced up the side of the building closest to him exploded.

Bucky and his bike went flying.

Bucky flung himself off his bike and rolled with blast. He curled into a ball to make himself a smaller target for shrapnel and wrapped one arm protectively over his chest, right where he knew Tony was hiding in his armor.

Bucky grunted as he hit the asphalt. He rolled onto his knees and faced where the blast had come from.

Tony’s claws pricked his chest and Tony yowled plaintively.

Bucky pulled out one of his smaller guns and aimed it at the broken, smoking, and flaming wall of the bakery he’d just driven past.

The chirping sounds of the aliens came from the wall and one of them poked their head.

Bucky fired. “I found some leftovers,” he growled into the comms.

Bucky barely paid attention as Steve shouted commands at Rhodey and Rhodey respond back in a hurry. A swarm of invaders burst out from the shops with unrecognizable weapons in hand. Electrified trident was the best description Bucky could up with for the weapons on the spot.

The aliens rushed at him.

Bucky fired off a few well-aimed bullets before holstering his gun and switching over to knives. He debated forgoing his knives as well and just transforming. He could maneuver better in his wolf form, and maneuverability was something he needed in order to make up for the range the aliens’ tridents gave them.

That would mean abandoning his armor and potentially putting Tony in danger though.

Bucky ducked and swiped his foot under the small alien’s leg. He stole the alien’s trident and stabbed one of the alien’s companions with it.

At least now he had the same amount of range as his opponents.

Even so, he could really use some back up. The aliens had already formed a tight ring around him.

Bucky growled.

Tony poked his head out from Bucky’s armor. He hissed at the aliens.

Two of the aliens jumped and squawked in panic at Tony.

The rest ran in for the kill.

It took every ounce of skill Bucky possessed to fend off his attackers. They were small and fast, and down right vicious. He had to block or dodge every single attack, otherwise the electrical shock from their tridents could knock him out. Bucky worked on disarming them, but it was little more than a useless endeavor, since he couldn’t pick up every single trident that fell and prevent the aliens from reclaiming said weapon. All knocking their weapons away did was by him time and a chance to either stab them or knock them out.

Bucky knocked one alien to the ground with a smack of his stolen trident just as a repulsor blast took out most of the group behind him.

“Finally showed up.” Bucky disarmed another alien then batted it aside.

Rhodey landed on the ground and began taking down the group.

“Sorry, I was trying to make an entrance.”

“Who do you think you are? Tony?” Bucky punched an alien in the face.

Rhodey snickered and took down the remaining aliens with a few well aimed blasts that left them all lying unconscious in the street. “He might have some influence over my personality.”

“War Machine. Soldier. Report,” Steve said on the comms.

“I just saved your best friend’s ass,” Rhodey responded.

“I was doing fine without you. You just sped up the process. Steve, what do you want us to do with our unconscious alien friends?” Bucky walked over to one of the bodies and poked at it with his toe. “We can get a few of them to you, but we’re going to need a truck to haul the rest.”

“Allow me to help with transport,” Fury responded on the comms.

“Fine with me,” Bucky answered.

Tony wiggled under Bucky’s armor and popped his head out. He surveyed the scene.

Bucky held up the trident he’d taken for Tony to see. “Look like anything you recognize?”

Tony cocked his head to the side.

Rhodey crouched down next to one of aliens and stared intently at it. “Damn, I don’t know what these guys have on them, but even this up close I’m not picking up any readings. Where did they get tech like this? Cause if they had it the first time they invaded I’m surprised they didn’t use it then.”

“Maybe they did?” Bucky kneeled down and examined one of the bodies he’d pierced with his stolen trident. “Who’s to say a group of them didn’t have whatever is blocking them from your scanner and that isn’t in hiding somewhere in the city right now? Maybe that’s how this second batch got in.”

Tony continued to wiggle until he was clinging to Bucky’s shoulder with his hind paws kicking at Bucky’s chest as he struggled to pull himself out from Bucky’s armor.

Bucky debated if it was safe to let Tony roam.

“Damn, I hadn’t thought that far ahead. We’re going to need to send out scouts. Have them check the sewers, abandoning buildings, any place a few of these guys might hide.”

Bucky nodded. He placed his hand right where Tony was kicking him with his hind paws and let Tony use his palm as a stepping stool onto his shoulder. “Anything dangerous happens, you go right back where you were, understood?”

Tony whacked Bucky on the nose with his tail then squatted on Bucky’s shoulder.

Bucky grumbled and slowly stood so he wouldn’t accidently knock Tony off his perch.

“Let’s get to work on tying them up. Don’t want them to—”

The alien closest to Bucky launched up and seized one of the fallen tridents.

Bucky jerked back and positioned himself to attack with his own trident, only for a black streak to fly through the air and land on the alien’s face.

The alien shrieked as Tony hissed and clawed its eyes out. With a fling of its arm, the alien threw Tony aside.

Tony went skidding across the asphalt, mewling in pain.

Bucky saw red.

He wanted to rip out the alien’s jugular, but it was only Bucky’s human brain that kept him from following his animal instinct to kill the one who’d harmed one of his pack. Steve and SHIELD wanted the aliens apprehended—not killed if it could be avoid. So with quick and efficient movements, Bucky knocked out the alien.

A low growl vibrated deep in his chest as he whirled toward Tony.

Rhodey was already there and picking Tony up in his metal hands.

Tony’s ears were flat and he kept mewling but Bucky didn’t smell any blood coming from him, and from Bucky’s position it didn’t appear Tony had broke a paw or rib.

“Is he okay?” Bucky asked, marching up to Rhodey and Tony.

“Just a little battered and bruised based on my scans.” Rhodey handed Tony to Bucky.

Bucky took Tony without thinking, scooping the little fuzzball into his arms then tucking Tony back under his tactical armor where he’d be snug and safe.

“I’m going to round up the bodies,” Rhodey said, “since I’m the only here who won’t get skewered if one of those things tries a move like that again. You look after Tony.”

Bucky nodded, tugging on the collar of his armor so he could check on Tony.

Tony had stopped mewling but was curled into a small ball, his face hidden in his belly.

“Hey.” Bucky patted his armor just enough to send a small jolt through Tony.

Tony lifted his head.

“Do you need medical attention? I can contact Fury and Steve and have them send someone over.” Just because Rhodey’s scan had come up with nothing didn’t mean that Tony wasn’t injured. The aliens were using something to mess up Rhodey’s scanners, and while Bucky would like to think that the scanners would work on Tony, some form of confirmation that everything was fine from Tony himself would be nice to have.

Tony stared at Bucky.

“Could you give me some sign?”

Tony continued to stare.

Bucky scowled. “C’mon, Tony, I’m not a mind reader here. Do something. Or how about this? If you don’t need medical assistance then look away.”

Tony slowly closed his eyes then just as slowly opened them. It was a blink—a very deliberate blink.

Bucky frowned. “I meant turn your head away. If you need medical help do that now.”

Once again Tony slowly blinked.

Bucky knew Tony was trying to communicate something, but for the life of him, Bucky didn’t know what. At least he could be sure that Tony didn’t need medical attention. At least, not immediately.

Just as Rhodey finished grouping all of the aliens together SHIELD arrived with three vans to take the aliens back to headquarters.

Bucky stayed away from the SHIELD agents and contacted Steve to see what Steve wanted him and Rhodey to do—they weren’t needed for clean up. Steve and the others had managed to take care of the aliens in his area while Rhodey and Bucky had been busy. For the meantime Steve was sending Sam out in falcon form to look for more aliens while the rest of the team searched on foot since the scanners couldn't be trusted.

“I want you and Rhodey to stay together,” Steve said. “No one wanders around alone, not after what just happened with you.”

“I wasn’t alone; I was with Tony,” Bucky stated.

“You know that doesn’t count.”

“Why not? He clawed out an alien’s eyes. I think that makes him an excellent partner,” Bucky joked with Steve.

“You let him near an armed alien in his current state?”

“I didn’t ‘let’ him. He pounced on the guy—girl, whatever it is. He was protecting me like a good pack mate. A stupid one that could have gotten himself killed, but a good pack mate nonetheless.”

Tony meowed at Bucky.

“Don’t deny it. At least you’re not as bad as someone else I know. Steve, do you even know where the parachutes are?”

“You are not turning this around on me,” Steve said. “You and Rhodey have your orders. Patrol the streets given to you and report back your findings.”

“Will you need us back at SHIELD or can we go back to the tower afterwards?”

“I’d prefer for you to go to SHIELD and get checked out by medical just to be safe.”

“I’m not injured and neither is Rhodey. Tony also says he’s fine.”

“Fine. I’ll trust you on that. I don’t like it though. Loki and these aliens have got me slightly paranoid.”

“Good. A little paranoia never hurt anyone. Rhodey and I will look around and report back in a few hours.” Bucky ended the conversation with Steve. He strolled up to Rhodey.

“So it’s team Rhodey and Bucky, huh?” Rhodey asked.

Bucky nodded.

Rhodey lifted up his faceplate and smiled. “You know, if Tony could, he’d make up a team name for us. Something like Winter Machine or Soldier Machine. Maybe even Winter War. That ones not so bad. It has alliteration.”

“Why not Double James or James Squared?”

Tony purred.

Rhodey chuckled. “Sounds like Tony likes the direction you’re going in with the team name. We’ll have to ask him which one he prefers when we get him back to his human form.” Rhodey lowered his faceplate. “All right, so which direction do you want to start with?”

After a discussion that ended up being the equivalent of them shrugging and agreeing that since the aliens probably had no knowledge of the city then any place the aliens would head toward would theoretically be random, Bucky and Rhodey set off in search of any stragglers or secret clusters of aliens.

It actually disturbed Bucky to see how empty the streets were. It was a surreal sight in bustling New York.

Bucky flashed back to the number of aliens that had come pouring out the sky. He felt like he’d only seen a fraction of them. Even with heavy hitters like Thor, Wanda, Vision, and War Machine in play, Bucky had hard time believing that they had gotten every alien. However, as time passed, Bucky and Rhodey found none. They covered the entire area assigned to them, and the only beings they found were people who hadn’t been able to escape the war zone and instead had hid in their homes or in stores.

Much to Bucky’s dissatisfaction, Rhodey and him called in and informed the team and SHIELD that they hadn’t been able to find any more aliens.

Once completed, Bucky arranged for his motorcycle to be brought back to the tower then hitched a ride on Rhodey back to the tower; it was the most uncomfortable side hug of Bucky’s life.

“I’m ordering Chinese,” Rhodey announced as he settled on the tower’s landing pad.

Several metal arms rose out from the floor panels and Bucky scrambled out of Rhodey’s hold and toward the tower entrance. He knew about Tony’s landing pad and that it had been designed to remove Tony’s armor—and apparently Rhodey’s too—but that didn’t make it any more comforting to see a bunch of metal arms come him. It reminded him too much of his time in Hydra. There had been so many pieces of tech he’d seen as the asset that he’d never understood, and the arms reminded him of those pieces of machinery.

“I’ll let FRIDAY know that’s what you want,” Bucky said as he opened the door from the landing into the tower.

Tony popped out of Bucky’s armor like a gopher. He wiggled his nose.

“Good evening gentlemen,” FRIDAY greeted. “It is wonderful to see all of you have returned safely. Is there anyway I can be of service to you?”

“Rhodey wants Chinese food. I assume you already know what he’d want to order off the menu.” Bucky headed over to the elevator.

He didn’t have to wait for the elevator to open as he waltzed inside.

“Add extra dumplings to my usual order, FRIDAY,” Rhodey said as he hurried into the tower and rushed to join Bucky inside the elevator. “Also, penthouse, please.”

“Will do.” The doors slid shut and the elevator rose. “Now, Mr. Barnes what would you like?”

“Just get me lots of meat. I’m craving protein,” Bucky answered.

Tony squirmed and half crawled out from Bucky’s armor. He reached one paw out to Rhodey and flexed his claws in a gimme gesture.

Bucky sighed and lifted Tony out of his armor and handed him to Rhodey. “I think he wants you now. He’s been stuck with me all day.”

Rhodey grinned as he accepted Tony. “So nice to feel loved.”

Tony purred.

“I know you don’t like talking about it, but you really should consider adding a special compartment or something to my armor for days like these. You’d be much safer in a metal suit then tucked under Bucky’s gear,” Rhodey said.

Tony whacked Rhodey’s chin.

Rhodey sighed. “Even after all these years there is still a part of me that is amazed that even in your feline form you find ways to tell people to shut up.”

Bucky chuckled and the elevator opened.

Bucky sauntered into the penthouse. He fiddled with the straps of his gear. After a few minutes, Bucky was freed from the heavy weight of his gear and able rest in his civvies. He collapsed on the couch and groaned as he sank into the cushions. “This feels so good right now. How much you want to bet that alarm will go off again or we’re going to get a phone call from Steve or SHIELD about a bunch of aliens being found in some abandoned speakeasy?”

“I’m not betting anything. I do not want to tempt fate.”

Rhodey shoved Bucky’s feet off the couch and plopped himself down on the other side of Bucky. He sighed. “Oh, this does feel good.”

Bucky hummed in agreement and closed his eyes.

When Bucky opened his eyes again it was to the smell of Chinese food.

While Bucky had been sleeping the food had arrived, and Rhodey had set out every single carton of food on the coffee table.

Rhodey clutched the carton of sweet and sour pork in one hand and chopsticks in another. “Do we need plates?” Rhodey asked.

Bucky shook his head and grabbed the carton of orange chicken and pair of chopsticks. “As long you aren’t carrying any diseases, I’m too lazy to care right now if we swap some spit.”

“Agreed.” Rhodey plucked out a piece of pork and stuffed it into his mouth.

Bucky felt the back of the couch shift and he turned his head.

Tony prowled the back of the couch, his gaze focused on the food Rhodey and Bucky were holding.

Bucky sighed. He held up a bite of chicken with his chopsticks to Tony’s mouth. “Just don’t get sick.”

Tony purred as he nibbled on Bucky’s food.

Bucky switched between feeding himself and feeding Tony, much to Rhodey’s amusement.

Bucky was relieved when they got through their meal without any interruptions. He was even more relieved as the evening passed and there wasn’t an emergency call from SHIELD or Steve. Bucky hadn’t counted how many aliens had crossed through the portal, and he had no way of knowing how many of them had been taken care of by the rest of his pack. Perhaps he’d been wrong to think that they hadn’t gotten every alien off the street.

A little voice of doubt told him it would be foolish to be so hopeful, but he’s also learned long ago that it was during moments like these when he needed to shove down that voice and let himself rest.

Bucky curled up on the couch and fell back asleep.

He stirred a little when Rhodey and Tony left to go sleep somewhere else, but sleep quickly reclaimed him.

He stirred again when a light weight landed on his chest.

Bucky cracked opened his eyes and was met with a golden gaze.

 _Tony_.

Bucky groaned.

Tony purred and kneaded Bucky’s chest.

Grumbling incoherently, Bucky threw his arm over Tony, trying to still Tony’s actions.

Tony paused in his ministrations.

Slowly, he flattened himself out against Bucky.

Bucky thought that would be that, but even behind closed eyelids he could feel Tony stare at him.

Bucky forced his eyes open and glared.

Tony blinked. Slowly and deliberately, just as he had earlier. Then very carefully, he scooted forward. He rested his head on Bucky’s jugular.

Bucky tensed, fighting off sleep momentarily.

Bucky just laid there, unsure what to do—unsure what he wanted to do.

Then Tony purred and sent gentle vibrations up and down Bucky’s chest and throat.

Sighing, Bucky forced himself to relax, and once again sleep took him.

It felt like an hour had barely passed when he woke overheated, covered in buckets of sweat, and weighed down by more than a hundred pounds of naked flesh.

Bucky opened his eyes to the sleeping face of a _very_ human Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't seen it already, please check out [beir's adorable artwork](http://beir.tumblr.com/post/153746347998/inspired-by-akira-of-the-twilights-winteriron) inspired by Cat Nipped.


	8. Chapter 8

Bucky stared at Tony.

Tony’s mouth was slightly open and a bit of drool had slipped out and dampened a spot on the collar of Bucky’s shirt. One of his arms hung limply off the side of couch, while the other was tucked around Bucky and was probably one of the reasons why Tony hadn’t accidentally rolled off of Bucky after his transformation. His breathing was heavy, signifying that his sleep was deep.

Being a shifter himself, Bucky didn’t begrudge Tony for being naked or sleeping on top of him—these things did happen; however, now that Bucky was awake and aware of the situation, it seemed only polite to wake up Tony.

He just didn’t know if he wanted to do so.

Bucky couldn’t believe it. A week ago he’d probably wouldn’t have thought twice about waking up Tony for the sake of his own comfort (because no matter how sweet the romance industry tried to paint it, having someone asleep on top of you was actually quite uncomfortable), but Tony looked very peaceful, and Tony’s weight wasn’t that bad. It really was just Tony’s body heat that was getting to Bucky.

He supposed he should at least try to wake up Tony.

“Tony,” Bucky whispered.

Tony kept sleeping.

“Tony, if Rhodey sees us like this, he’s going to ask FRIDAY for pictures and show the photos to all of our friends. Do you want everyone to know what your ass looks like?”

Tony sighed and snuggled closer to Bucky.

Bucky let out a breath of his own. “Fine. It’s your ass that’s on display.” He grunted and wrapped his arm around Tony’s waist. “Don’t come crying to me later.”

Bucky closed his eyes and dozed off—never quite reaching a deep sleep due to the extra warmth and the occasional limb jabbing into him.

Tony slid toward the edge of the couch, and instinctively, Bucky bent his leg to his knee to keep Tony from slipping off of him and hitting the floor.

Tony grumbled.

A jolt of surprise ran through Bucky and he opened his eyes.

Tony was glaring at Bucky’s knee.

“Were you trying to sneak off?” Bucky asked.

Tony jumped, his head swerving toward Bucky. “You’re awake.”

“Off and on for a while now,” Bucky admitted.

“And you didn’t feel like waking me up?”

“You looked peaceful.”

Tony stared at Bucky, his brow knitted in confusion and contemplation.

Bucky returned Tony’s gaze with a curious one of his own.

“You let me sleep on top of you— _naked_ —because I looked peaceful?”

Bucky nodded.

The confusion and contemplation left Tony’s stare. He slowly blinked his eyes just as he had done as a cat earlier.

Tony scowled and rubbed his face. “Cat habits.”

“Is there something about slow blinking I should know about?” Bucky asked.

“Google it.” Tony grunted and laid his head down on Bucky’s chest.

“Are you going back to sleep?” Bucky asked.

Tony yawned. “The damage has been done. I don’t think an extra hour or two of my naked body pressed against your is going to change anything. Plus, Rhodey is in my room and he would not appreciate waking up to a naked me even if he understands these things sometimes happen with shifters.”

“You could put some clothes on and join him.”

“Too much effort.”

Bucky huffed and took a deep breath, taking a moment to close his eyes and mentally assess the situation. When he opened them again, he raised his wrist and held it close to Tony’s face. “May I?”

Tony quirked an eyebrow at the Bucky’s wrist. “You want to mark me?”

“You marked me, didn’t you?”

“My cat brain was at the forefront,” Tony said.

Bucky lowered his wrist.

Silence passed between them.

Tony grumbled and grabbed Bucky’s wrist. “Fine, do it. We’re pack, right? Marking each other up makes you happy, doesn’t it?”

Bucky felt the beginnings of a happy rumble in his chest. “Yes.” Bucky rubbed the underside of his wrist against Tony’s temple.

Tony looked off to the side. “This is so weird.”

“Never had a canine shifter as a pack mate before, have you?”

“I have. Steve, remember?”

“Steve’s too modest to ask.” Bucky drift his wrist down Tony’s spine.

Tony purred and cursed. “Damn, still stuck partially in cat brain mode. Ignore the purring.”

“I kind of like it,” Bucky said.

Tony grinned wickedly and wiggled his eyebrows. “Someone have a kink?”

“And what if I did?” Bucky challenged.

Bucky’s response gave Tony pause.

Tony tapped his fingers along Bucky’s chest, mulling his answer. “Very good question. I’m not much a fan of people who fetishize feline shifters, but I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt since you haven’t said or done anything else so far to make me think you’re one of those people.”

“And what if I said I only liked it because it was _you_ purring?”

“Then I would say we are in a dime-store romance novel.”

“Even though purring is sign that you’re happy and content? What if I like knowing that you are those things?”

Tony scoffed. “Is this the playboy side of Bucky Barnes that I’ve heard so much about finally leaking out?”

The corner of Bucky’s mouth twitched into a smile. “Maybe.”

Tony scrutinized Bucky. “We barely got along before my transformation. Why are you suddenly flirting with me?”

“Maybe because your naked, or maybe because I’ve grown fond of ya.”

“You grew fond of a cat, not of me.”

“Last time I checked, you are that cat.”

“Doesn’t mean you got to know me.”

“I don’t know.” Bucky rested his arm around Tony. “I think I got to see a lot of you that I hadn’t before. You made this tower for the pack, which says quite a bit. You also have been building us equipment. Additionally, you have this place set up so pretty much anyone who comes to visit gets at least one free meal out of the deal. I also got to see just how much you adore Rhodey and how you played with Thor. I’ve come to realize something about you, Stark, over the last few days.”

“That I should win the Miss Universe Pageant? I agree, but for some reason no one is willing to accept my application.”

“No. It’s that you are full of bull shit.”

Tony stiffened and pushed himself a few inches off Bucky. “Excuse you?”

“You play apathetic and arrogant, but it’s the opposite.”

“You think you know me that well?”

“No, but I think I know enough.”

Tony was silent.

On the outside, Bucky knew he probably appeared calm and collected, but inside his gut churned just a tad. He knew he’d kicked the hornet’s nest when it came to Tony. Not his smartest move, but Bucky didn’t want to tiptoe around the subject. Ignoring or skirting the truth would just drive him bonkers, and he had a feeling the same would be true for Tony too. He just hoped Tony saw it that way.

Tony took a deep breath and pushed himself up so he was sitting on Bucky’s waist. “All right. My turn. You act silent and tough, but really you’re just a ball of fluff underneath it all. I wouldn’t go so far as to say you’re rainbows and sunshine, but if someone puts a distressed puppy, kitten, or child in front of you, you’re not going to ignore it. You’re very protective. Also, as much as you talk about pack and such, you’re not the best at following orders, which makes me wonder how the heck you and Steve haven’t gotten into some fight for dominance yet.”

“Because I care enough about him to not want to fight him, even if he is an idiot some times.”

Tony grunted in agreement. “Can’t argue with you there.”

Bucky gently touched Tony’s thigh, very aware that his touch might not be welcomed. He waited to see if Tony would push him away, and when Tony didn’t, Bucky spoke. “So you know me a little better, and I know you. You think we can make this work?”

Tony’s hand touched the one Bucky had placed on his thigh. “And what is _this_?”

“For now, I was just thinking pack mates. Maybe even tower mates if you feel like letting me move in.”

Tony stiffened. “You want to move in with me?”

“I probably won’t continue to sleep on your couch, and if what Rhodey says is true, then it probably won’t just be me moving in, but yeah. Yeah, I like it here. It’s a lot nicer than SHIELD, and the company is good. So if you’ll let me, I’d be happy to move in.”

Once again Tony was speechless.

Internally, Bucky smiled at Tony’s lack of words. He knew how difficult it was to leave Tony without anything to say.

Bucky’s joy was cut short when a tiny voice in the back of his head pointed out that most likely the reason Tony was surprised by Bucky’s request was probably because Tony believed that no one cared for him enough to want to live with him.

“This isn’t out of pity?” Tony asked.

“No.”

“You really want to live here with me? You realize that now that I am human I will be awake at all hours and constantly building things and experimenting with dangerous things that could go boom?”

“Do you have a fire extinguisher?”

“Yes.”

“Then I will take my chances.”

Tony shook his head. “And you kept calling me crazy.”

“Never said I was sane though,” Bucky pointed out.

Tony smirked. He slowly lowered himself down on Bucky so his chin rested on Bucky’s clavicle. “All right, wolfie. Stay.”

“Is that supposed to be a dog joke? Because you’d be better off cracking them at Steve.”

“And if I choose to say them to you?” Tony teased.

Bucky ran his hand up Tony’s back. “Then I guess I’ll either have to make cat jokes about you or make the difference between a wolf and dog very clear to you.”

Tony’s eyes went half-lidded and he let a purr leak into his voice. “Perfect.”

* * *

“FRIDAY, please tell me you’ve already saved photos to my tablet,” Rhodey’s voice interrupted Bucky’s sleep.

“Already done,” FRIDAY answered.

“Rhodey’s taking pictures of my ass again,” Tony grumbled into Bucky’s chest.

Bucky groaned and rubbed his eyes. “I warned you last night.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Did too. You were just asleep.”

“Then it doesn’t count.” Tony yawned and pushed himself up.

Rhodey was beaming at Tony. “So glad to see you’re back in your human form.” Rhodey stepped forward with his arms open.

Tony grumbled some more, but reached out and hugged Rhodey.

“Any idea when you transformed back?” Rhodey asked as he pulled out of their hug.

“Bucky?” Tony asked.

Bucky shook his head. “I didn’t ask FRIDAY for the time when I noticed.”

“At 2:42 a.m. Boss reverted back to his human form,” FRIDAY answered.

“So it’s probably safe to say this isn’t a temporary thing,” Rhodey said. “We should probably call Steve and the others then.”

Tony stretched and slowly removed himself from Bucky. “You two do that. I’m naked and the only bathing I’ve done in the last few days has been with my tongue.” Tony shuddered. “I’m going to be really annoyed if I hack up a hairball later.”

Bucky swatted at Tony as he pushed himself up into a seated position. “Go. Shower. Put on some clothes. We’ll handle Steve.”

“And breakfast,” Tony said.

Bucky rolled his eyes. “And breakfast.”

Tony walked backwards toward the bathroom. “I’m not sure if it’s because I spent such a long time in my cat form or something, but I am craving fish like mad. There’s a little café nearby that serves these small salmon bites with feta cheese. See what you can do about getting me a platter of those.”

“All right.” Rhodey waved Tony away. “Go already. Bucky and I have already gotten enough of a look at your ass and ball sack.”

“Also, get me a doughnut.” Tony disappeared into the bathroom and locked the door.

Rhodey smiled but shook his head. “Incorrigible.”

“I’d say it makes me reconsider moving in with him, but it really doesn’t,” Bucky stated.

Rhodey’s eyebrows shot up his head and his eyes widened. “Are you for real?”

“Last time I checked I was.”

“You’re moving in with Tony?”

Bucky nodded.

“You already asked him?”

Bucky nodded again.

Rhodey cursed under his breath. “Wow. Okay. I did not see that happening, but…okay.” Rhodey stared at the ground, his eyes shimmering with thought.

“You doing okay?” Bucky asked.

Rhodey nodded, half paying attention. “Just thinking.”

“About moving in too?” Bucky asked.

“It’s not something I can do right away, and I’m certainly not ready for it, but yeah. Maybe. I think I’d like to see how things go with you two first before I make any serious plans though.”

“He’d appreciate it if you moved in.”

“I know, just… wow.”

Bucky chuckled. “You’ve already said that.”

“I’m stunned, okay? Give me a few minutes to wrap my head around this.”

“Sure.” Bucky stood and arched his back. “In the meantime, how about we make good on our promise and call Steve? He’ll probably jog over here just to see for himself that Tony has transformed back.”

“SHIELD will probably want Tony to visit so they can examine him.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “If they want to start that fight with Tony, be my guest. I’m not backing either side of that fight though. FRIDAY, you mind calling Steve for us?”

“On it, Sergeant.”

Seconds later, Steve’s voice came filled the room. “Hello?”

“It’s Bucky, Steve. One guess as to who is back in their human form.”

“Tony?” Steve exclaimed. “Where is he? Why isn’t he the one calling? Is he okay? Did something happen to make him transform back? Do you need me over there?”

“Slow down mother hen,” Bucky said. “Tony is fine.”

“Although, he is craving salmon,” Rhodey said. “And there are some concerns about him barfing out a hairball later. Overall though, he’s fine. He’s just in the shower.”

Steve sighed. “Okay. Sorry about that. I’m a little stressed out. Fury, Thor, and I have been working all night trying to figure out what is going on with these aliens. I’ve also been trying to work off some steam at the gym for the last hour, and a few minutes ago I got a call about Thor having a breakthrough with one of the aliens. I’m not allowed to say anything else for now, but we’re going to have a team meeting in a few hours. That should give Natasha and me a chance to wheedle out any extra information Fury tries to hide from us.”

“You think he’s hiding something?” Bucky’s muscles tensed, gearing up for a fight.

“You know, Fury. If he doesn’t think it’s pertinent or that it might hinder us, he’ll keep bits of information to himself.”

“Sounds like after breakfast we should get Tony to look through SHIELD’s files and talk to Fury,” Rhodey said.

Rhodey frowned. “I don’t know how, but Tony is strangely talented when it comes to getting information out of Fury.”

“How so?” Bucky and Steve said in unison.

Rhodey shrugged. “I don’t know. I just know I’ve seen Tony talk to the guy and then come back with more information than he had before speaking to Fury. I’m not saying Tony has Natasha’s level of information gathering skills, but he’s got something going on with Fury.”

“Either way, I would like him to come down to SHIELD. I want the whole team here for the meeting,” Steve said.

“As long as no one mentions anything about visiting SHIELD medical facilities to him, I think we can get Tony over there in a few hours. What do you think, Rhodey?” Bucky asked.

Rhodey nodded. “Pretty doable. We could probably get him over there if we say we sent the doughnuts we ordered over to SHIELD.”

“He’d probably try to murder us if we did that. A box of doughnuts is not safe at SHIELD.”

“As long as you get him down here, I don’t care how you go about it,” Steve said.

“Chaos and mayhem then?” Bucky deadpanned at Rhodey.

“Agreed.”

“No chaos and mayhem,” Steve shouted.

“But you just said,” Bucky began.

“Bucky, please, I already have enough to worry about. I do not need to be thinking about the kind of destruction you three could unleash upon the city on your way over here.”

“Fine, we’ll do this the old, boring way,” Bucky conceded.

“Thank you. Now I have to go. Contact me if you three have any trouble.”

“Will do,” Bucky said. Steve and Bucky exchanged farewells and FRIDAY ended the conversation.

Rhodey snickered.

“What?” Bucky inquired.

“Nothing.” Rhodey continued to snicker. “Just amused by you and Steve. Now let’s order breakfast. I’m starved, and Tony will be whiney when he comes out of the shower if the food isn’t here.”

Bucky and Rhodey did just that. Even so, the food hadn’t arrived by the time Tony got out of the shower, and like Rhodey had predicted, Tony was whiney.

What Rhodey had failed to predict was that Tony would latch on to Bucky and whine directly into Bucky’s ear.

“I’m so hungry.” Tony clung to Bucky’s back and pretended to gnaw on Bucky’s shoulder.

“Is your brain still stuck in cat mode?” Bucky asked, half serious. He was washing the cup of orange juice he’d had while waiting for breakfast to arrive.

“Hungry,” Tony answered.

“This is what you get for feeding him so much while he was a cat,” Rhodey teased. “You are officially now his food source. He’s going to steal food off of your plate and everything.”

“You speak from personal experience?”

Tony huffed and detached himself from Bucky. “I am a growing man who needs food. Specifically chocolate. God, I missed chocolate.” He glared at Bucky. “You were so cruel to me.”

“I’m the reason you’re not naked at a vet’s office right now,” Bucky argued.

Tony stuck his nose in the air and sauntered out of the room.

“You sure you’re ready to live with that everyday?” Rhodey asked once Tony was out of hearing range.

“That?” Bucky nodded his chin in Tony’s direction. He smirked. “You bet. He’s a lot more fun than a bunch of agents who are always keeping secrets from each other. Plus, I can always transform and chase him around.”

“He’d probably like that.”

“Good. Makes it more fun that way.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, it was a long wait, but now that my other major fic has a first draft of all remaining chapters written out that means I can focus more on this fic. Thank you for your patience. Also, yes, I did go the lazy route with naming the aliens this chapter.

“All this sounds like some terrible joke.” Tony pinched the bridge of his nose and drew in a sharp and annoyed breath.

Bucky nodded in agreement.

The Avengers had gathered at SHIELD and were currently seated around a long table as Steve went over SHIELD and the Avengers’ findings on their recent alien invaders.

Steve grimaced.

“It is not a joke,” Thor insisted. “I talked to the Avians extensively, and I can assure you that there is no prank being played here.”

“Did you have SHIELD interrogators actually interrogating them, or did you just braid each others’ hair and gossip?” Tony asked.

“Tony,” Steve reprimanded.

“Yeah, Tony,” Clint said. “Don’t be so rude. You know the Avians don’t have hair to braid. So cruel.”

Natasha whacked Clint’s arm, but the upward curl of her lips gave away her amusement.

“As I said, Tony,” Thor cut in, “I talked extensively with the Avians. Once I made it clear that their actions had been perceived as a threat to Midgard, they explained that they had been informed by Loki that the standard greeting in Midgard is a show a of strength, and that the more strength demonstrated the more respect one earns.”

“And they really didn’t stop to think that a display a strength might be perceived as an attack?” Tony asked. “Not the smartest aliens in the universe, are they?”

Thor’s jaw clenched as he visibly restrained himself from sniping at Tony. “There are many cultures in which such a ritual is true. Why, if they were to go to Asgard and demonstrate their strength there, they would be warmly greeted.”

“Even if their demonstration of strength was to destroy your castle?”

Thor deflated at Tony’s question. “I suppose I can see your point. However, the Avians are actually a very kind and gentle race, and were hoping merely to establish ties with Midgard in the hopes of future trade.”

“I cannot say that I know much about the creatures and their culture,” Vision said. “However, from my observations, they do not appear aggressive outside of battles. More have shown signs of fear and distress while imprisoned here.”

Wanda, who was seated next to Vision, nodded. “I was able to pick up that much from them with my limited experience too.”

“Because that suddenly makes everything better,” Tony responded.

“Enough with the sarcasm, Tony,” Steve said. “We get it.”

“I’m with Tony on this one,” Rhodey said. “Even if they don’t usually go to other planets and attack them, that’s exactly what these guys have just done. There isn’t a political leader on the Earth who would be stupid enough to even consider talking to these guys. It’d be career suicide.”

“Now that I don’t agree with,” Tony said. “There are plenty of countries that hate America and would warmly greet our alien visitors.”

“Well, the creatures are unlikely to want to talk to those leaders anyway, since according to our intel, the second batch of invaders were sent for the purposes of war.” Steve crossed his arms over his chest. His brow furrowed.

“Fantastic,” Sam commented drily.

“Our response to their welcome party was considered an act of war, so they sent in their second team.”

“That explains the high-tech pitchforks,” Tony said. “By the way, did anyone happen to save one of those for me?”

“SHIELD has one set aside specifically for you,” Natasha answered.

Tony bounced a little. “Yay!”

Bucky muffled an amused snort behind his hand.

Tony glanced Bucky’s way, but didn’t comment.

“So what I’m hearing is we’re screwed,” Bucky stated.

“Same here,” Clint added.

“We are not screwed,” Steve said. “However, things need to be handled delicately.”

“Steve, look around you,” Tony deadpanned. “Do any of us look like we handle things delicately, besides Nat? And even Nat had been known to lose her patience. Ow.” Tony grabbed his leg from under the table.

Natasha feigned nonchalance, but Bucky knew no one was fooled; Natasha had kicked Tony.

“Point proven,” Tony said.

“How we missed your human form,” Wanda said in exasperation.

The movement was minute, and Bucky probably wouldn’t have picked up on it if it weren’t for the last few days he’s spent with Tony, but he saw Tony stiffen and the way Tony cautiously glanced at Wanda. There was a thoughtful look to his eyes that soon faded as he flicked his attention back to Steve and the discussion at hand.

Bucky glanced around at his pack mates. How many of them had noticed the tense moment between Tony and Wanda and how many hadn’t? Thor and Steve continued discussing the Avians without any signs that they’d noticed the exchange beyond what it was on the surface. Sam and Vision listened and nodded accordingly to Thor and Steve.

Rhodey’s focus was on Steve, but his posture was a lot more tense than it had been a moment ago.

Natasha and Clint also feigned ignorance, but their sneaky glances at Wanda and Tony told Bucky all he needed to know.

“While I’m for sending our guests back home, you really think it’s going to be that simple?” Tony asked Steve and Thor. “Even if our guests are in SHIELD custody, which will make it easier for us to send them home, SHIELD and the Avengers are going to get a lot of heat from the government if we do that. And I’m not just talking about the American government either. A lot of political allies are going to be worried about the same thing happening to them. They’re not going to want to appear weak to the universe. Plus, let’s not forget the people who lost loved ones.”

“We’re not forgetting those people, Tony,” Steve tried to speak calmly, but there was a strain to his tone. “Trust me, I wish there was something we could do for those people, but at this rate we’ll only lose more people if we hold the Avians captive.”

“I agree with you there. I don’t think anyone wants a planetary war, but you have to think about how you are going to spin this story.”

Thor and Steve frowned, befuddled by Tony.

“I’m not sure I understand,” Thor said.

Tony rolled his eyes. “You need a compelling story that the people can get behind.”

“We’re trying to avoid a war isn’t compelling enough?” Steve asked.

“Not when everyone is still suffering from the attacks on New York,” Tony argued. “C’mon. Don’t act blind. We’ve seen this stuff happen how many times now? A big tragic event happens and then political leaders use it as an excuse to attack another country, or in this case, another planet. It happens. Which is why if we’re going to do this it has to be about more than avoiding a war. You have to blame it on the real villain here and make the Avians look just as much like victims as us.”

“Loki,” Natasha stated.

Tony snapped his fingers and nodded. “Exactly.”

Thor scowled. “You want to blame this on my brother.”

“Did you not just tell us that he was the one who led the creatures to believe that they were warmly greetings us with their first visit?”

For the second time in their discussion, Thor deflated at Tony’s words. “I suppose you are right, but I still do not like it. Loki though must be held responsible for his actions. I just wish he would cease these machinations of his.”

“You and everyone on the planet,” Sam said.

“Even if we focus the blame on Loki, this is still going to be a crapshoot,” Clint threw in.

Tony shrugged. “Better than if we just sent our guests home, but as I said, we have to make it clear publically that it’s not just us who are the victims of Loki, the Avians are too. If we present it like that, then we might be able to avoid some chaos and outrage that’s sure to come.”

Steve nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. “I’ll talk to Fury about it. See what he thinks.” Steve looked at Thor. “Are you really okay with this though? If we do this, you are going to be acting as liaison between the Avians and the rest of the world. That might put you in the position where you will have to speak out against Loki.”

Thor nodded slowly and thoughtfully. “I’m not a fool. As much as I wish for my brother to stop his evil deeds, he has not, and until he does so, I cannot protect him. I may not spew the level of vitriol others might for him, but I will chastise his actions accordingly if put in a position where I must.”

“All right, then for now we wait until I talk to Fury and see if he has any other ideas on how he wants to handle the situation,” Steve said. “I doubt he’s going to want to act right away. He’ll probably want us to continue to question the Avians until he’s sure we’re not being played. Wanda,” Steve looked at Scarlet Witch, “that means he might ask for you to help with the verifying process.”

Wanda nodded. “Their minds are different from humans, but I’ve already picked up enough from them that I should be able to verify any information.”

“All right, until then everyone is dismissed,” Steve announced.

“What? No welcome back cake for Tony?” Clint teased. “I only came to this meeting because I was promised cake.”

Steve rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to respond, but Sam cut him off.

“I’d be down for some cake.”

“Same here,” Rhodey chipped in.

“Cake does sound marvelous,” Vision said.

“Sounds like someone should have brought cake,” Bucky teased Steve.

Steve sighed. “All of you can go out and buy cake if you want it so bad.”

“But _you’re_ supposed to buy the cake,” Clint protested. “That’s how it works. You buy the cake and SHIELD reimburses you.”

“SHILED does not seem like the kind of place to reimburse cakes,” Sam said.

“It does if you know who to talk to,” Natasha said.

“Wonderful!” Thor cheered. “I too would like some cake. Jane has recommended I try cake with buttercream frosting.”

“I have the number to a cake place that delivers.” Tony held up his cell phone.

“You can’t have cakes ordered to SHIELD!” Steve looked distressed by the thought. “It’s a top secret organization. Only people who need to know its location are supposed to know of it.”

“Yeah, and obviously, this cake place needs to know.” Tony began sifting through his contacts, while half the room cheered him on and the other half told him to knock it off.

Tony pouted at Steve. “Unless, of course, you don’t think my transformation back into my human form is a big deal, Steve. I was only cursed by Loki after all, and stressed out to the point that I was unable to shift back once his curse ended. But I understand why that wouldn’t be a big deal to you.”

“Tony,” Steve somehow managed to sound equal parts frustrated and guilty. “We can’t have the cake brought here, but there is a park nearby. If it means that much to you, have the cake delivered there.”

Clint fist pumped the air. “Yes! Picnic in the park with cake. Tony, order some pizzas too.”

“Hey, I’m all for the cake, but maybe the pizzas are overdoing it. New York was just attacked yesterday, and having a small party in the park seems a little…” Sam searched for the correct word. “…disrespectful.”

“And who is to say we will be alive tomorrow?” Clint asked. “I say YOLO.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “No one says YOLO anymore.”

“I’ll leave all of you alone to figure this out. I’m going to go talk to Fury for now.” Steve headed for the exit.

“Too much fun for you, old timer?” Natasha smirked at Steve.

“Feel free to text me when all of you have finalized the details of your party. I’ll join later,” Steve responded, a light and playful challenge to his tone.

“Okay, so I’m buying at least two chocolate cakes.” Tony looked pointedly at Bucky.

Bucky rolled his eyes.

“I can make one of those cakes buttercream, what other flavors should I get?” Tony asked.

Everyone shouted out their orders.

Fifteen minutes later, Tony had ordered the cakes and pizzas, and Tony was on the phone inquiring into how much it would cost to get a bounce house over to the park within the next hour.


	10. Chapter 10

“Rhodey, my love, my sultry pretty,” Tony all but purred as he tugged on Rhodey’s arm, not caring in the least that he was trying to drag his best friend across the picnic table. “I have built you a castle, won’t please spend at least five minutes in it?”

“You built me nothing. You rented a bounce house and had it inflated.” Rhodey shrugged Tony off him. He plucked a slice of pizza out of the box and hissed as the hot cheese burned his fingertips. The burn didn’t stop him from shoving the slice into his mouth.

“Hey!” Tony huffed. “It took a lot of time and energy to order the castle and watch it be inflated.”

“Uh-huh,” Rhodey said through a mouthful of food.

“Natasha.” Tony turned to Natasha, who was taking a picture of Clint in the bounce house on her phone. “Tell them how much hard work it took.”

“He’ll be on bed rest for days. Poor baby exhausted himself so much.”

“I don’t like your tone,” Tony grumbled.

Bucky internally chuckled at Tony’s pout as he picked at the slice of cake he’d been eating for the last half hour. The cake was delicious, but very rich in chocolate and sugar. Just a couple of bites had him feeling full.

“Thor is trying to get back in the castle,” Natasha said.

Tony sat up straighter and looked at the castle where Thor was trying to sneakily climb in from the top of it.

Tony hissed and stood up. “You get down from there Gigantor! No entering until you learn to control your bounce power.”

“But Tony, I believe I have finally figured it out.”

“Test it on the ground first where I can see it.”

Thor dropped down from the castle. “This is really unnecessary.”

“It is very necessary. You broke the first castle.” Tony wasn’t lying. This wasn’t the first bouncy castle he’d ordered. The first one had been red with gold flags, and this one was purple with pink flags.

“Perhaps your castles shouldn’t be made from such flimsy material.”

“Thor.” Tony used his no nonsense tone.

Thor grumbled, but demonstrated his jump. His jump picked up some dust and went a little higher than the average person’s, but if Bucky had to hazard a guess, he’d say it was safe to let Thor play in the castle with Clint, Vision, and Sam.

Tony must have thought so too, because he nodded and said, “All right. Go for it. But if you break this one then I will never order another castle again.”

“A fair and wise decision,” Thor had the curtsey of saying before he ran off like a child and jumped into the bounce house.

Clint went flying into one of the tower walls, while Vision phased through the castle when he was thrown by Thor’s impact. Sam had luckily been in the air and hadn’t felt the force of Thor’s jump.

“Careful!” Tony shouted. “I swear they are all children.”

“Says the man who just tried to get me to join him in the bouncy castle.” Rhodey wiped the pizza grease off his hands with a paper napkin.

“You can still be an adult and play in bounce houses.” Tony plopped himself next to Bucky. “Tell him, Bucky.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “You want me to defend you?”

“Haven’t you been doing so for the last few days?” Natasha asked.

“Someone is jealous of our special bond,” Tony sing-songed. He leaned in close and pretended to whisper in Bucky’s ear. “She loves me, you know? But she just can’t bring herself to admit it.”

“Whatever makes you happy, Tony.” Natasha rolled her eyes.

“You should join me.” Tony touched Bucky’s arm. Bucky glanced down at the touch, and Tony quickly removed his fingers. The speedy retreat bothered and perturbed Bucky. “All of the cool kids are just chilling outside the bounce house, which is not how it should be.”

“I heard that!” Clint hollered.

“You were supposed to,” Tony shouted back.

“Congratulations, Wanda.” Vision floated through the bounce castle’s netting. He hovered next to Wanda, who had decided to take a nap on the grass. “You are officially a ‘cool kid’ by Tony’s definition.”

“I’ll cherish it,” Wanda said, drily.

“That you should,” Tony said to her. Tony returned his attention to Bucky. “So come on. What do you say?”

Bucky hummed and pretended to think it over. He maneuvered himself so his legs were on either side of the bench and he was facing Tony. He slid closer so their knees were touching and settled his hands on Tony’s thighs as he leaned into Tony’s space. “I don’t know. I kind of like it here. Warm bench. Pizza. Chocolate cake.”

Tony’s face pinched and he looked down at Bucky’s hands on him.

A smirk spread across Tony’s face. He grabbed Bucky’s hands and squeezed. “Now, now, if you want to get touchy with me you have to earn it. Join me in the bounce house where we can pounce on each other all we want, or tell your little wolfy instincts to take a hike.”

“My ‘wolfy instincts?’”

Tony huffed. “You know, sometimes I feel like you’re part parrot with the number of times you repeat what I say.”

“Really? Guess I better change that.” Bucky leaned forward and nipped Tony on the cheek.

Tony yelped and fell off the bench, clutching his cheek.

“You okay, man?” Rhodey asked.

“I think I was just attacked,” Tony said.

Bucky rolled his eyes and stood up. He offered Tony a hand up. “Google it, Tony.”

“’Google?’”

“Now who is the one who sounds like a parrot?” Bucky grinned.

“What about parrots?” Steve asked as he strode up to the party. He’d put away his uniform and was in a set of his khakis and button down shirts that he loved so much. He was well put together, but his movements were sluggish—the only sign that he was exhausted after the second Avian attack.

“Cap, your best friend just tried to eat me,” Tony said, even as he took Bucky’s hand.

Bucky lifted Tony to his feet with little effort.

Steve frowned as he looked at the picnic table. “The food must be terrible if he had to resort to cannibalism.”

Tony balked. “Your best friend tried to eat me, and you’re worried about the pizza?”

“Bucky nipped Tony’s face,” Natasha stated.

Steve straightened. He wasn’t gawking at Bucky, but he was pretty damn close to doing so.

Bucky huffed and nudged Tony toward the bounce house. “You said you wanted to play in the castle. Let’s play.”

“You’ll actually join me?” Tony asked, surprised.

“Sure, but only if you are in there in 5…4…3…2…”

Tony ran so fast into the castle, it seemed like he’d gain a mutant ability for super speed.

“Hurry up, old timer,” Tony shouted.

Bucky shook his head, but smiled at Tony’s antics.

“Did you really nip him?” Steve asked Bucky.

Bucky shrugged. “He’s pack. Why wouldn’t I?” It was just an affectionate gesture between pack mates. “Now excuse me while I show off how you really jump in a bounce house.”

Bucky waltzed casually up to the bounce house where his pack mates where trying to see who could send the others flying the highest (without popping the castle). Bucky dove into the castle, and almost landed on his face when Sam and Clint choose right then to bounce.

Tony laughed as Bucky struggled for balance.

Bucky swore revenge right then.

Playful insults were thrown as the five “adults” jumped around the castle.

Bucky maneuvered himself around until he was close to Tony.

Bucky leaped and threw himself at Tony.

Tony cried out in surprise as he hit one of the towers, the combined weight of him and Bucky almost toppling the one corner over.

“You’ve had too much cake, Barnes.” Tony tried to roll out from under Bucky.

Bucky smirked and held onto Tony, keeping him pinned down in the bouncy castle. “I swear I’m trying to exercise it off.”

“Dog pile!” Clint crowed and threw himself on top of Bucky.

Bucky grunted at the added weight.

Then suddenly Thor was there, and Sam calmly seated himself on Thor’s back. He grinned down at Bucky and Tony. “This is nice.”

Tony groaned and grasped at the air. “Help me~! I’m being squished.”

Natasha snapped a photo.

Steve bit his bottom lip to keep himself from snickering, but the way his eyes lit up gave away just how amused he was.

“You did this to yourself,” Rhodey said.

“Rhodey, why are you so cold hearted? Is it because of Bucky? I swear you have no reason to be jealous, even if he is groping my ass.”

“That’s not me,” Bucky said.

“Not me either,” Clint announced.

“Ah, sorry, t’was I,” Thor said. “Your buttocks are quite round and soft. I mistook it for part of the castle.”

Tony wiggled and grinned up at Bucky. “You hear that? I have a nice butt.”

Bucky grunted and cocked his chin at Rhodey. “Maybe you should say that to the guy who you just claimed is jealous.”

Tony huffed. “Please, Rhodey may be jealous of our bond, but he’s never wanted to touch my ass. It’s very disappointing.”

“You should give it a feel, Rhodey,” Thor hollered.

Rhodey shook his head. “I am too mature for this.”

“Lies!” Tony shouted.

“So how long are all you going to stay in the dog pile?” Steve asked.

“Is it really a dog pile if the only actual dog in the pile is a wolf?” Sam asked.

“No, it doesn’t.” Clint waved Steve forward. “Come on, Steve. We can’t declare it an official dog pile without a dog, and if we can’t make it official then we can’t leave until it is so.”

“Maybe you should wait and see how long that lasts,” Natasha said to Steve.

“Please, no,” Tony responded. “My back can only handle so much weight for so long.”

Steve smiled as he strolled up to the bounce house. “Okay, but only because I don’t want Tony to break his back. Is there anywhere to sit on this pile that won’t add more weight to Tony?”

Tony lifted one of his legs. “You can sit here. A little weight on the leg isn’t going to break it.”

Steve took the offered spot.

“All right, so now that I have joined all of you, are you going to get off Tony now.”

“Pfft. We have to wait at least two minutes.” Clint huffed. “Otherwise what was even the point of getting you to join us on top of Tony if all of us were going to get up the moment you sat down?”

“Clint has a point,” Thor acquiesced.

Sam nodded in agreement.

“You doin’ okay down there?” Steve asked Tony.

Tony gave a thumbs up. “Just no more than two minutes. Also, stop taking pictures, Nat!”

Natasha smiled as she took another. “Can’t. No one will believe me without evidence.”

Tony grumbled and glared at Bucky. “This is all your fault.”

Bucky huffed and headbutted Tony lightly. “You love it.”

Tony headbutted Bucky back. “You’re delusional.”

They stayed like that for the promised two minutes with Clint cracking jokes and Thor responding to them with his own playful sarcasm. Once the dog pile session ended, Bucky rolled out of the castle and helped Tony make his own escape as the others continued to mess around in the bounce house.

Bucky went back to the picnic table. He was a little surprised when not only did Tony sit down next to him, but Tony decided to rest his head on Bucky’s shoulder and doze for a few minutes.

Natasha was right there snapping pictures of Bucky and Tony.

As it got darker and the rental company showed up to take down the bounce house, the Avengers began to pack up.

“So are you staying the night or going back to SHIELD until you’ve boxed up your stuff?” Tony asked Bucky as he put away the last of the cake in a plastic container.

Bucky shrugged. “If you got a place for me to sleep, I don’t mind going back to the tower for tonight. I’ll swing by SHIELD tomorrow to get the rest of my things.”

“Wait, what is this I’m hearing?” Steve looked up from packing away the pizza. “Bucky, are you moving?”

Bucky nodded. “I like Tony’s place. Not as many strange people running around. Good food. Good company.”

“Bucky’s moving in to Tony’s?” Clint suddenly appeared next to Steve.

Bucky scowled, not liking having to repeat or explain himself. “Yes.”

Clint held up his hands to show he’d meant no offense.

“Maybe all of you should visit Tony for a weekend,” Rhodey said in a friendly manner. “Who knows? Maybe all of you will want to move in like Barnes here.” Rhodey clapped Bucky on the shoulder. “As he said, good food and good company. Plus, an amazing view of the city. What isn’t there to like?”

“I thought we—” Steve snapped his mouth shut and shook his head. “I guess there wasn’t much in the way of discussion about where you would prefer to live. I’m just surprised. I wasn’t expecting this.”

“Yeah,” Tony said, his tone casual but with a hint of bite. “Who would have thought a canine shifter would want to be anywhere near a feline shifter. Crazy idea.”

Steve grimaced. “That’s not what I meant, Tony. You two just…” Steve took a deep breath. “Never mind, you and Bucky have obviously bonded over the last few days and if Bucky wants to move in with you and you are okay with it, then I will not stand in the way of you two.”

“Good.” Bucky wrapped an arm around Tony’s shoulders and tugged the genius in close. “Because I really like being able to order in fancy food everyday.”

Tony scowled. “You get to order fancy food twice a week.”

Bucky shrugged. “I get fancy food twice a week, and then whatever I come up for the rest of the week. By the way,” Bucky turned to Tony. “We need to work on stocking your fridge.”

“My fridge is fine.”

“Your fridge is a tragedy.”

“It is,” Rhodey agreed.

“You don’t even have fish,” Bucky said.

“Don’t stereotype me.”

“I recall you requesting fish when you were a fuzz ball,” Bucky commented.

Tony grumbled, but did not pull away from Bucky.

Bucky smiled.

“Congrats.” Sam came up behind Steve. He squeezed Steve’s shoulder briefly then let it go. He cast Steve a curious and worried look while he aimed at Bucky, “Sounds like you’ll be living the high life.”

“Best part about it is that I get to chase this idiot around his house,” Bucky said.

Tony huffed. “You’ll have to get me to transform first, and that is not happening.”

“I can still chase you while you’re human.” Bucky nipped Tony’s cheek.

Tony jumped and covered the cheek. “He’s trying to eat me again! Quick, Steve, give me some of that pizza.”

Bucky rolled his eyes and nipped Tony a second time. “You really should have FRIDAY Google wolves and nipping when you get home.”

* * *

 Bucky paced around the room he’d decided on after Tony’s grand tour of the tower. It was a small room located below Tony’s floor. Tony had tried to convince Bucky to pick a room that was large, but Bucky found the spacious rooms too alienating. He was used to small and cozy. Plus, it wasn’t as if the room he had selected was a broom closet. It was more like a hotel suite with a little living room attached to a kitchenette in one half of the suite and the bedroom in the other half.

Bucky wandered into the bedroom and wrinkled his nose.

Bucky had opened a window to ventilate the room, but the air was still stale. At least it didn’t smell of anyone else. Although, that was very intriguing. The room had clearly been cleaned recently since there wasn’t a speck of dust anywhere. Bucky wondered if one of Tony’s robots had cleaned the space or if he’d designed something into the room to vacuum the dust.

Bucky yanked the blankets off the bed and hugged them to himself. He rubbed his face against the soft fabrics and rolled them around against his chest.

If he was going to sleep here tonight then he was going to make the bed smell like him first.

“Sergeant, Tony is headed your way,” FRIDAY said.

Bucky didn’t get to respond before he heard knocking on his door.

Bucky quirked an eyebrow at the door, before finally heading toward and answering it.

A red faced and fuming Tony shoved his way into Bucky’s room.

“It’s a dominance thing?” Tony huffed.

Bucky frowned, not quite understanding what Tony was getting at.

Tony scowled and pointed at his cheek. “The nipping. I looked it up just like you said. Everything I found came up saying that face nipping is a sign of dominance. I am not your subordinate, buddy.”

Bucky shook his head. Figures that was the information Tony found. “And you didn’t find anything about it being an affectionate gesture?”

“Between parents and kids, but your not my parent, so…”

Bucky sighed. He really needed some alcohol or pain medication for the headache that was sure to come from this conversation. “Tony, you know not everything translates exactly the same for shifters. There are things that cats do that you don’t do, right?”

Tony grumbled. “You might have a point there.”

“It’s an affectionate and playful thing amongst wolf shifters. It can be a teasing reprimand, an invitation to play fight, or even a possessive thing.”

“Possessive?”

“It’s like saying, ‘You’re _my_ friend.’ It can be a little hard to explain to non-wolf shifters.”

“So it’s not a dominance thing at all?”

Bucky internally grumbled. He didn’t want to answer Tony’s question, but he knew it was better to be open and honest with Tony, or else Tony would just get pissed later when he found out. “It can be, but that’s not what I was doing.”

Tony’s gaze narrowed. “All right, so then in your wolfy mind am I lower ranking than you?”

“Tony,” Bucky heaved an annoyed breath and went to the couch. He dropped down on it and massaged his forehead.

“I want to know.”

“You’re just picking a fight.”

“So you’re saying I am lower ranking than you.”

“No,” Bucky raised his voice. “Steve’s the leader, so he has the highest ranking. You and me though… it’s complicated.”

Tony still looked suspicious, but where as before he looked ready to start a fight, now there was a hint of intrigue in his eyes. “How so?”

“I’m Steve’s best friend. He relies on me, and that would normally make me his second in command; however, the lines aren’t so clear. In most circumstances if something were to happen to Steve you’d take over as leader. So from a wolf shifter’s perspective, hierarchy wise you and I rank the same.” Bucky shook his head. “The human half makes everything so complicated.”

“So we’re equals?” Tony clarified.

“Yes.”

“Well why didn’t you just say that before?”

Bucky threw his head back and groaned. He waved Tony toward him. “Get over here.”

“No. You’ll try to eat me.”

Bucky huffed and waved Tony over again. “Come here.”

“I do this at my own risk.” Tony approached Bucky.

The moment Tony was in arm’s reach, Bucky snatched Tony by the wrist and yanked Tony into his lap. Tony grunted as he toppled into Bucky.

Bucky wrapped his arms around Tony, locking Tony in place. “You are a pain.” Bucky nipped Tony’s cheek.

Tony squirmed. “See! What did I say? You’re trying to eat me!”

“Shh! I don’t like chatty food.”

“Oh my, Grandma, what big teeth you have.”

Bucky stopped nipping Tony and frowned. “What?”

“ _Little Red Riding Hood_ reference.”

“I know, but…why?”

Tony wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Because you’re the big, bad wolf.”

Bucky grumbled and ran his hand through Tony’s hair. “You haven’t seen big or bad yet.”

“If we’re still talking in euphemisms, is there a chance I’ll ever get to see you big and bad?”

The question gave Bucky pause. He’d grown fond of Tony, and Tony was attractive and had been flirting with him. He’d just assumed it would be a little longer before Tony made a move on him. Bucky certainly had planned to wait until they saw how things went with living together before starting anything with Tony.

Bucky ran his hand down Tony’s back, stroking the genius gently and rubbing a few circles into Tony’s lower lumbar where a tangle of knots had gathered. “Play your cards right and you just might.”

“Really?” The question came out with a bit of rumble. Tony pressed himself closer to Bucky. “Just so you know. I’m an excellent poker player. Actually really good at any game with cards really.“

“Good, because so am I.”


	11. Chapter 11

The next day Bucky returned SHIELD facility with the intention of packing his things and moving out. He was stunned when picked up Steve’s scent coming from inside his room.

Steve was his best friend and his leader, but that didn’t give Steve the right to go into Bucky’s territory uninvited, and Steve knew that. Something important must have happened or be happening if Steve was waiting for him inside.

Bucky tensed and picked up his pace. He barely had the door open halfway before he blurted out, “What’s wrong?”

Steve was seated on the edge of Bucky’s bed with a tablet and his face was scrunched up in confusion.

Bucky suspected his expression probably looked the same as Steve’s.

Steve wasn’t tense and there were no signs of worry on his face when Bucky had come in; although, after Bucky’s question he appeared concerned.

“Nothing that I am aware of.” Steve powered down the tablet and set it on the bed. “Did someone say something to you? Do you need me to talk to someone?”

Bucky shook his head. He was trying to wrap his head around the idea of Steve having just been sitting in his room like it was a normal thing to do.

Except, hadn’t it been that way when they were kids?

Bucky took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He rolled his neck side to side to loosen the muscles there.

“Bucky?” Steve stood up and approached Bucky. “You okay?”

Bucky opened his eyes, meeting Steve’s concern with confusion. “What are you doing in here?”

“When you alerted SHIELD that you were on you’re way, I decided to wait for you so I could help you pack and we could talk a little.”

“You shouldn’t have done that.” Bucky nudged past Steve to the dresser. He yanked open two drawers and threw the contents onto the bed.

Steve let out an irritated breath and put a hand on his hip. “Okay. Tell me what’s wrong. You’re acting weird.”

“I’m acting weird because you came into my room without my permission.” Bucky slammed the drawers shut and reached for the third one he’d left untouched.

Steve physically startled. “But I’ve always been invited in your room.”

Bucky grumbled. Steve was right—at least he thought Steve was right, but— “It’s different now. We’re friends, but…we don’t know every single detail about each other’s lives, and I…I need space.”

Hurt flashed through Steve’s eyes. Bucky tried to ignore it, but his protective instincts gnawed at him—demanded that he do something to rid Steve of his pain.

Steve inhaled through his nose and released it through his mouth. “Bucky, I know you say you need space, but I’m just so confused right now. Just explain to me what is going on. Did I do something to offend you?”

Bucky whirled on Steve. “No. I’m just different, Steve.”

“You might be a little rougher around the edges, but you’re still the Bucky I know.”

Bucky cringed. “Maybe parts of me are, but not all of me, Steve. I’ve changed, and I’m still changing. You can’t expect everything to remain the same.”

“I don’t, but—“ Steve bit the inside of his cheek and looked around the sparse room, as if searching for evidence that Bucky hadn’t changed at all. Steve deflated. “I didn’t think you’d kick me out of your life either.”

“I’m not kicking you out of my life.” Bucky rolled his eyes and went to the bathroom to check if had taken all of his toiletries to Tony’s already; he believed he had, but he wanted to double-check to be safe. “I’m just saying you can’t come into my room without asking first. You wouldn’t do it if it was any other canine shifter.”

“But you’re my friend, and it’s not just about the room.” Steve took a step toward Bucky, then rethought it and shifted a step back. “You’re moving in with Tony, and you never talked about it with me.”

“I am an adult, Steve; I am allowed to decide where I live.” Bucky wandered out from the bathroom with a spare comb and toothbrush he’d left behind.

“You are, but that’s what I was trying to say yesterday before Tony got offended.”

Bucky frowned, not catching on to what Steve was saying.

Steve rubbed the back of his neck. “I was trying to explain that I thought we were going to live together, whether at SHIELD or Tony’s or wherever. I don’t care where exactly, but I always believed that we’d stay with each other, and now you’re…” Steve didn’t finish. He just gestured at the bed of spare clothes.

“You can always move into the tower too. Tony already has a room for you.”

‘Room’ was a humble and inaccurate word. Steve had his own floor.

Steve shifted his weight, his nerves prominent. “I’m not sure how Tony would feel about that. He made the room a long time ago. He may not want any of us to move in with him.”

Bucky huffed. He knew that was impossible. Tony still wanted everyone to move in with him, but he knew Steve would never take his word for it. “Just ask him. It never hurts to ask. He might razz you a little about it, but that’s about as bad as he’ll get.”

Steve was quiet, and he couldn’t quite meet Bucky’s gaze.

Bucky sighed. “You’re not sure you want to live in the tower with Tony.”

Steve winced. “I like Tony, Bucky, but Tony and I butt heads. Also, even though I know Tony isn’t the type to take advantage, it just doesn’t sit well with me to depend on someone for so much. Letting him treat us to an afternoon in the park is one thing, letting him provide me with shelter and food, and whatever else he throws at me… it makes me feel too indebted to him.”

“But you don’t care if SHIELD is the one providing for you?”

“SHIELD is an organization made up of many people and there are expenses set aside for everyone. Tony is just one man, and—“

“And it would risk altering the power dynamics,” Bucky stated.

Steve grimaced. “You make it sound so much worse than it is.”

Bucky opened his mouth then shut it. He knew Steve, and he knew Steve was not one to actively enforce a status quo. It was the opposite, truthfully. Steve might be heralded as some goody-two-shoes, but he really was a rebel at heart. This relationship with Tony though was something else. Maybe it was because of how the two of them met or another factor, but there was always an underlying power struggle between them. Perhaps Steve had just grown so use to having to play the voice or reason for Tony, that he subconsciously felt he had to maintain full control in their relationship.

Bucky didn’t know the motivations behind Steve’s and Tony’s interactions, and he could spend hours theorizing, but at the end of the day he knew there was nothing he could do to change Steve or Tony’s relationship. He could encourage it, but it would be up to them to take the steps to form a healthier and more balanced relationship.

Bucky turned to the stuff on his bed. “I didn’t bring a box.”

Steve startled because of the subject change. It took him a moment to register what Bucky had said, but when he did, a small smile formed on his face. “I can go get some for you. How many do you think you’ll need?”

Bucky mulled over the size of the pile and considered just how much more stuff he had. “Probably need four, but grab six just in case.”

Steve nodded and ran off to get the boxes.

Bucky sifted through the stuff on his bed. He had quite a few knives and guns. He’d have to pack those extra carefully. He probably should have asked Steve to grab some bubble wrap while he was at it.

Bucky glowered at the extra pair of boots he kept in one corner of the room. Those probably needed their own box. That, or at least be wrapped in something to keep the dirt and grime on them from dirtying up anything else he’d put in the box with them. 

Bucky grumbled as it became clear to him that maybe he should have asked for more boxes.

Steve returned with eight boxes, and Bucky could have hugged him.

Bucky finished folding up his shirts and carefully put them inside one of the boxes.

Without asking, Steve began to fold up Bucky’s jeans and sweat pants, and put them in a box.

There was silence between them, and after a moment Steve sighed and stopped what he was doing. “I’m not trying to be an asshole, and I admit, I never really sat down and talked you about whether or not we’d live together, but I… I guess I just assumed.”

“You’ve been making a lot of assumptions for a while, Stevie.” Bucky sealed his box of shirts up. “And not just with me. As for this moving thing…” Bucky shrugged. “Did you really think we would spend the rest of our live living together? Didn’t you ever stop to think about at least one of us finding a husband or wife in the future?”

Steve’s cheeks tinged pink. “Sort of. I knew it was a possibility, but I hadn’t really related it back to us living together.”

Bucky smiled fondly at Steve’s admittance. That was such a Steve thing to do, to focus on one aspect of something and be completely oblivious to another. It also reminded Bucky of kids, and how kids loved to talk about how they’d spend the rest of their life with their friends and move in together (even when married). It was such a simple and nice view point, and he was happy for Steve that he could so easily get swept up in something so innocent.

Bucky was a little bit envious of that trait.

“Maybe in the future we can be roommates again.” Bucky grabbed a third box. “Right now though, I am sick of SHIELD, and honestly, I’ve grown fond of Tony. He can be a bit of an ass, but he’s a marshmallow inside. Plus, he needs someone around to make sure he doesn’t get himself so stressed out again. He’s an adorable cat, but we really can’t have him stuck in his animal form for long lengths of time.”

“Yeah,” Steve said a little sadly. He folded shut his box. “Just promise you’ll come to me if you run into trouble?”

“Only if you promise the same,” Bucky answered.

* * *

Bucky looked around his new apartment (Tony might call it a room, but realistically it was an apartment). The place smelled a little more like him now that he’d unpacked his boxes and tucked away his few possessions into the closets, drawers, and cabinets of the abode. He took a deep and satisfying breath as he debated what to do next. It would probably be a good thing for him to spread more of his scent around the apartment, but he longed to go out and explore the tower some more.

Plus, he hadn’t seen the genius since that morning when Tony had snuck out of his apartment like they’d had a one-night stand.

FRIDAY had said that Tony was working in the tower today, so Bucky knew Tony was around somewhere.

Bucky wanted to find him.

Excitement filled Bucky at the thought of tracking Tony. It played to his more animalistic side to hunt for Tony. He knew he could ask FRIDAY for Tony’s location, but it would be so much more fun to find Tony on his own.

Bucky left his room and headed toward the elevator. Because of the unique set up of the tower, he’d have to ride the elevator from floor to floor until he picked up a strong trail from one of the floors.

As Bucky stepped into the elevator, he breathed in the air through his mouth, tasting and analyzing it. The last time Tony had been in the elevator had been approximately three hours ago. He’d have to search for a scent either as old or fresher in order to find Tony.

Bucky decided to start his search at the top of the tower and work his way down the floors.

The elevator took him to the top and opened, but Bucky didn’t detect a stronger scent, so he went to the next floor.

Bucky traveled several floors down when he picked up a scent of equal strength as the one in the elevator.

Bucky grinned and hurried out of the elevator. He tracked the scent through the floor, the scent growing stronger the farther inward he went. When he reached a wall consisting primarily of large windows, Bucky didn’t have to look into the room beyond to know Tony was there, because he could hear the soft heartbeat of his new housemate.

“FRIDAY,” Bucky whispered, unsure if Tony would be able to hear him too, and not wanting Tony to. “Have you alerted Tony to my presence yet?”

“No; however, I am worried I should have done so based on the malevolent grin on your face.”

“He’s not working with anything dangerous is he? Nothing that could hurt him if I startle him, right?”

FRIDAY hesitated. “He’s looking over blueprints right now. Mr. Barnes, what exactly—”

“I’m going to surprise him. Promise it is all in good fun.”

“I would like to point out that Tony has a heart condition, and that you should be mindful of this when you surprise him.”

Okay, no pouncing on Tony. Probably no loud sounds either. He could still surprise Tony though.

“You think you can tell him, I’m on my way, but make it sound like it’s going to take me a couple of minutes?”

“I can,” FRIDAY answered.

Inside the room, Tony lifted his head up toward the ceiling for a second then went back to looking at one of his blue projections. He nodded and mumbled an affirmative to FRIDAY.

Bucky didn’t wait for FRIDAY to tell him that she’d informed Tony of his approaching arrival.

He very carefully popped open the lab door and snuck into the room.

A large machine with a claw on it turned toward him. It snapped its claw and beeped.

“Quiet, DUM-E.” Tony kept his back to the machine as he dragged something on the blue projection off to the side.

The clawed machine let out a sad beep and lowered its claw.

Bucky snuck past the machine and headed toward Tony, approaching the genius from behind.

Bucky was standing directly behind Tony.

He smirked as Tony remained oblivious to his presence.

Bucky leaned into Tony and nipped the back of Tony’s neck.

Tony jumped and yelped.

Bucky grabbed Tony’s hips to keep him from jumping too far and hurting himself. He snickered as Tony hissed louder than Bucky had ever heard.

“Holy crap! I was not expecting that sound from you.”

Tony growled low and turned in Bucky’s hold. The tip of one of his fangs peeked out of his mouth.

He held up one hand with claws. “You are lucky FRIDAY told me you were coming or I would have torn your face off.”

“But my face is so pretty. You would really ruin this piece of art?”

Tony glowered, and even though he hadn’t sprouted his tail, Bucky could picture Tony with the agitated appendage.

Bucky smiled. “I’m sorry?”

Tony huffed and his claws withdrew. He swatted Bucky on the chest. “No, you’re not.”

“Not really.” Bucky’s hand went to Tony’s chest. He jerked his hand back when Tony tensed. “Sorry, I just wanted to make sure everything was okay with you’re heart.”

Tony fisted his shirt right at the center of his chest. “It’s fine. Just a little sensitive there.” His eyes went half-lidded as he batted his eyelashes at Bucky in an exaggerated manner. “Maybe next time you should ask for permission before you fondle someone’s chest? And to think everyone says you guys from the 1920s were gentlemen.”

Bucky guffawed at that. “Hate to destroy your fantasy, but there were as many non-gentlemen types in the 1920s as there are now.” Bucky took Tony’s hand in his and let his thumb rub over Tony’s knuckles. “You are okay though, right? FRIDAY mentioned you had a heart conditioned, but I figured since you fight aliens and robot armies on a monthly basis you could probably handle a little surprise love nip.”

“’Love nip?’” There was a chuckle in Tony’s tone. He leaned forward and snapped his teeth at Bucky’s cheek as if he were going to bite Bucky back. “I’ll show you a love nip.”

Tony slipped out of Bucky’s hold and sashayed away from Bucky, showing off his hips and backside. He grinned over his shoulder at Bucky. “Of course, I can’t show you unless I love you, and I’ve been told love is something that needs time to grow and develop, and last I checked we’re still in the friend zone.”

Bucky made a show of looking Tony over. “You certainly know how to make a fella want to leave the friend zone.”

“And what’s stopping you?”

“A voice inside my head saying that I shouldn’t rush.” Bucky gripped the edge of one of the tables to keep himself from strolling up to Tony and getting handsy. The excitement from his successful hunt combined with Tony’s flirting and playfulness was bring out Bucky’s own playful and flirty side, and when he got that way he tended to get very tactile too. “Never been very good about going slow when I really want something though.”

“Same here,” Tony admitted, letting his gaze rove over Bucky too.

Bucky’s breath caught in his throat and he swallowed hard. His logic and reason was shouting at him to go slow and not let his hormones get the better of him, but he was drawn to Tony.

Tony cleared his throat and turned his back on Bucky. “We should probably take five,” there was a strain to his voice. “Wouldn’t want to accidently rush things.”

Bucky didn’t want to leave Tony though. He’d just found him and— “Or we could shift into our animal forms for a bit. Can’t exactly do anything beyond play since we’re built so differently.”

Tony turned around and shook his head. “I don’t like being a cat. I think that’s been made very clear.”

“Tony,” Bucky said, his voice taking a on a pleading note. “You know it’s healthier for you to spend some time as a cat periodically, and I’ve already seen you as one. Why not play a little?”

“You just want to chase me,” Tony said.

Bucky grinned. “Yeah, but this way I won’t be tempted to wrestle you to the ground and pin you there once I have you.”

Tony’s eyes widened. “I don’t know if that was supposed to be terrifying or a turn on, but somehow it has managed to be both.”

Bucky stripped off his shirt. “You can chase me first,” Bucky teased.

Tony gawked.

Bucky’s grin widened as he stripped off his pants and kicked them to the corner of the room. He rested his hands on the band of his boxers. “Deal?”

Tony opened his mouth, shut it, opened it, then shut it again.

“Tony?” Bucky asked, feigning innocence.

Tony blinked then spun around so he wasn’t facing Bucky. He tossed his shirt off and looked over his shoulder. “All right. Get to running then, because in my cat form I can out run you any day.”

Bucky shucked off his boxers. “I’m sure of it.”


	12. Chapter 12

“I would not have moved in here if I had known you two would be groping each other constantly.” Rhodey stuffed a slice of pancake into his mouth as he wrinkled his nose at Bucky and Tony.

Bucky was currently leaving a lovely hickey on Tony’s neck as Tony waited for his second pot of coffee to boil.

It had been two weeks since Bucky had moved in with Tony, and while they were still taking things slow both of them were very physical people, thus they were a lot more intimate than probably most housemates. However, they liked it that way. Tony enjoyed the attention and it satisfied Bucky to be physically close with one of his pack mates.

Also the happy rumbling sound that came from Tony whenever Bucky got handsy with him encouraged Bucky and filled him with delight, but Bucky was not going to tell Rhodey that. Instead, he was going to keep the sound all to himself and enjoy it.

“And now the werewolf is purring.” Rhodey rolled his eyes.

Tony huffed, unintentionally baring more of his neck for Bucky to mark. “He’s  _ rumbling _ , Rhodey.”

Rhodey narrowed his gaze at Tony, clearly picking up the vibrations in Tony’s voice. “You two are disgusting. I should move out.”

Tony elbowed Bucky in the ribs. “Knock it off.”

Bucky let out a surprised sound and backed off. He grumbled. “I’d act surprised that you chose Rhodey over me, but I’m not an idiot.”

Tony smiled and pecked the corner of Bucky’s mouth.

Rhodey shushed them, turning his attention to the TV in the living room. “FRIDAY, volume please.”

FRIDAY raised the volume for Rhodey to hear.

“All of us our victims of Loki’s malicious and devious machinations,” a government official said. The official continued to emphasis that the Avians were tricked by Loki into attacking New York and explained that the Avians have since proven themselves kind and humble beings who wished no one harm.

“They’re really selling it, aren’t they?” Tony said.

“That was the plan,” Bucky responded.

Tony shook his head. “They just better be careful. The more they push just how great the Avians are the more disingenuous it is going to sound.”

Rhodey nodded and peeled an orange. He broke off a slice for himself. “Agreed, but it’s out of our hands now.”

Tony scoffed. “Until everyone riots. Then we’re going to get called in to back up the government’s claims.” Tony groaned. “They are so going to try and get Steve to do his boy scout routine for them when this blows up in their faces.”

“What’s blowing up?” Natasha’s voice rang out just as the elevator opened. Natasha waltzed into Tony’s penthouse like she lived there.

Tony and Rhodey startled. Bucky sidled up behind Tony as he kept watch of Natasha.

The elevator closed behind Natasha.

“What’s she doing here?” Tony’s head swiveled between Rhodey and Bucky. “Am I hallucinating or is she really here? What if she’s one of the copycat shape shifter types?”

Natasha rolled her eyes.

“Scans show that she is the real Natasha Romanoff, boss,” FRIDAY said.

Tony made a show of looking at Natasha with suspicion. “You sure?”

“I could always lock your head between my thighs and throw you to the ground,” Natasha offered.

Tony held up his hands. “I believe you.” He mock shuddered. “I’m just trying to figure out why you're here. You spying on me again?”

“I’m always spying; the question is if I’m reporting my findings back to anyone.”

“Still haven’t answered my question,” Tony said.

The elevator opened again and Clint wandered into the penthouse. “Natasha you have got to check out the rooms Tony set up for me.”

“Okay, I am not joking here,” Tony’s voice was taking on an edge. Bucky set his hands on Tony’s hips and squeezed in what he hoped was a comforting manner. “What the hell are you two doing here?”

“We just wanted to check out the place.” Clint shrugged. “Now that Barnes and Rhodey are living here, we’re curious.”

“You know, a call to say you two were coming over would have been nice,” Rhodey said, his tone clipped.

“But that would ruin the surprise,” Clint responded cheekily. His gaze drifted toward Bucky’s hands, which were still holding Tony’s hips. Clint whistled. “Wow. I knew you two had developed a bromance during Tony’s time as a cat, but I didn’t know you two had become boyfriends.”

A red flush colored the back of Tony’s ears. “We’re not boyfriends.”

“Dating?” Natasha asked, waltzing up to the table where Rhodey was eating breakfast. She snatched the orange out from Rhodey’s hands to take a slice of her own before giving it back.

Tony’s hips shifted under Bucky’s hold.

Bucky squeezed and rested his chin on Tony’s shoulder. “We haven’t had an official date yet.”

Rhodey scoffed. “No, but since I moved in a week ago, I’ve caught them flirting in the lab, playing with each other in their animal forms, and they have nightly movie marathons.”

“They are not marathons or nightly,” Tony corrected.

“Close enough,” Rhodey argued.

“So you two are just a casual thing?” Clint asked.

“How did this turn into an interrogation about my dating life? You two snuck into my home and—”

“Technically, we didn’t sneak in,” Natasha interrupted. “We walked in through the front door and FRIDAY let us up to your floor.”

“FRIDAY is a traitor,” Tony said.

“Sorry, boss, but you gave them access to the tower. My programming does not allow me to deny them access unless I have reason to believe they wish you harm.”

“And we don’t.” Clint plopped himself onto the edge of the breakfast table. Mischief glittered in his eyes. “We just want to know more about this secret love affair.”

“It’s not a love affair.” Tony spun in Bucky’s arms. “Will you tell them it’s not a love affair?”

Bucky pecked Tony on the mouth. “Of course.”

Tony gaped.

Clint snickered as Bucky smirked.

Tony scowled and playfully shoved Bucky in the chest. “You are no help at all.”

Bucky gently headbutted his forehead against Tony’s. 

He let his hands slide off Tony’s hips as he slipped away from Tony.

If Tony’s bottom lip appeared to jut out just a tad, Bucky feigned ignorance.

If Tony was really bothered by others prying into their business then Bucky wasn’t going to add more fuel to the fire—at least no more fuel than he had already.

Bucky took a seat at the table and was pleasantly surprised when he ended up with a lap and armful of Tony. Tony wrapped his arms around Bucky’s neck and looked down his nose at Bucky. He raised an eyebrow in a challenging manner. “You’re in my chair, so I get to sit on you.”

All the chair’s were Tony’s, and Tony didn’t sit in any specific one from what Bucky had noticed.

Bucky smiled and wrapped his arms around Tony’s waist. He hummed in agreement.

“I’m serious,” Tony insisted.

“I’m sure you are.” Bucky kissed the underside of Tony’s jaw.

Clint wrinkled his nose and turned to Rhodey. “This is what you have been putting up with for the last week?”

Rhodey sighed. “Yes, but at least nothing has been set on fire.”

Tony opened his mouth.

“I swear if you say anything along the lines of there being a fire in your loins, I’m disowning you,” Rhodey threatened.

“You’re no fun.” Tony stuck his tongue out at Rhodey.

“Careful,” Natasha said. “You stick that tongue out, and Bucky might try to take it.”

“Pssh.” Clint waved away Natasha’s tease. “Please, Nat, Bucky is a wolf shifter. Tony is a cat. If anyone is going to be stealing anyone’s tongue, it’s going to be Tony.”

“Cat puns, hilarious.” Tony rolled his eyes.

“I know.” Clint rested his chin on his fist and batted his eyelashes at Tony. “Isn’t it purrfect?”

“I see why your career as a comedian never took off,” Tony deadpanned.

“What are your intentions with Tony?” Natasha aimed at Bucky.

Bucky’s brain took a moment to process the question. He couldn’t tell if Natasha was joking with him or not.

He hugged Tony’s waist. “That’s a discussion between Tony and me.”

“As I said, we’re taking it slow, if you must know,” Tony answered.

“How slow is slow?” Natasha asked.

“I’m sitting in Bucky’s lap with hickeys running up and down my neck, collarbones, and shoulders, Nat. How slow do you think we’re going?”

The corner of Natasha’s mouth quirked up.

Tony sighed. He rested his head on top of Bucky’s shoulder. “They did it again. They distracted us with our relationship so that we don’t focus on the fact that they dropped by unexpectedly.”

“SHIELD hired us for a reason.”  Clint looked around the penthouse. “It is a nice place here. We should hang out here more. If that’s fine with you of course, oh great overlord of the tower.” 

“That is Emperor Supreme to you, lowly peasant.” 

“Clearly I’m going to have move out of here to make room for Tony’s ego,” Rhodey sassed.

“But Honeybear, I love you.” Tony blew Rhodey a kiss.

Rhodey pretended to catch the kiss and throw it on the ground.

Tony feigned a cry of pain. He clung to Bucky and nuzzled him. “Bucky-babe, Rhodey’s hurting my feelings again.”

Bucky side-eyed Rhodey. He shrugged and hugged Tony. “It’s cool. Rhodey is a good guy.”

Tony gasped and threw a hand over his heart. “Betrayed again. All of you wound me.”

“Drama queen,” Natasha stated.

Tony faked a sniffle. “Attacked again, and not even my best friend or my potential boyfriend are willing to defend me.”

Bucky sat up straighter and pulled Tony closer to him. “Oh no, her? Her I would defend you against.”

Natasha raised an eyebrow.

Clint cocked his head. “Why her?”

“Because she is sneaky and deadly, and no one should go up against her alone.”

Natasha beamed. “He’s got one thing right.”

“So when are we going to get an official tour of the place?” Clint asked.

“Really? You come over to my place and start demanding a tour? You got some nerve, Barton. Lucky for you, I like strong-willed individuals who have no regards for social decorum.”

“No wonder you love yourself so much.” Clint puckered his lips at Tony.

Bucky let out a playful growl. “We may not be anything official yet, Barton, but make a move on Tony, and don’t be surprised when you find yourself getting elbowed into walls or that I forget to bring you back coffee when I make a run to SHIELD.”

Clint whimpered. “Not my coffee.”

“Coffee!” Tony perked up and jumped out of Bucky’s lap. He went to the coffee maker where his second pot had finished being made.  He whooped and refilled the mug he’d set aside prior.

He cupped the mug like it was something precious and sipped his beverage.

Clint rose. “Hey mind sharing—”

Bucky growled.

Everyone at the breakfast table stilled.

A smirk crawled onto Bucky’s face. “Joking. For now.”

Tony huffed and pulled out a mug for Clint. He filled it to the top with coffee and pushed it across the counter toward Clint. “He’s a sadist like that.”

“Not a sadist.” Bucky craned his head back and pouted at Tony.

Tony rolled his eyes, picked up Clint’s mug, and stood behind Bucky. He handed Clint’s mug to the archer as he bent down and kissed Bucky on the lips. “I really shouldn’t encourage you.”

“So about that tour?” Clint prompted.

“All right, all right.” Tony headed for the elevator. “You want the full tour then hurry up and follow me.”

Clint let out a victorious sound and jumped off the table. Natasha followed him at a more tranquil pace, but the small smile on her face gave away that she too was interested in seeing all of the tower.

Once Tony and the others disappeared, Bucky and Rhodey turned toward each other.

“That was an unexpected but pleasant visit,” Bucky said.

Rhodey nodded, stirring around the crumbs on his plate. “Very interesting.”

“You suspect something?” Bucky asked.

“Nothing nefarious, but it seems like you’ve piqued their interest about this place.”

“You moved in too,” Bucky pointed out.

“Yeah, but I’m Tony’s best friend, whereas you were the guy that always bickered with him. Now you’re kissing Tony and acting like a couple with him, and you’ve moved in with him too.” Rhodey nodded in deference. “It’s going to make people curious.”

Bucky didn’t know how he felt about that. On the one hand it would be great if the Avengers were united under one roof, and it would probably be beneficial for Tony too. However, Bucky was concerned about the motives of his teammates.

“What are you thinking about, frowny face?” Rhodey asked.

“Just conflicted. The curiosity is good, but is it just the intrigue of the abnormal or do you think they actually want to move in and form a stronger bond with Tony?”

“In a perfect world, the latter. In the real world where people make mistakes and don’t always realize the effects of their actions?” Rhodey scrunched his face. “You wouldn’t like my honest answer.”

Bucky took a deep breath and stood. “Thought so.”

“I’d say give them time though. You came around.”

Bucky nodded. That was true, but he was him and the others were them; their reactions and the way they approached things were different than his, so there was no guarantee that any one of them would see the man underneath the pomp and snark.

* * *

Bucky fumbled with the small box of bakery goods in his arms. Today was one of those days when thoughts of Hydra and the Winter Soldier dogged him, so he had gone out for a walk and fresh air. Along the way he had spotted a quaint bakery and had decided to peek inside.

His dark thoughts scattered the moment he laid eyes on the tray of Avengers shaped cookies in the bakery’s display case. He couldn’t stop himself from buying every Avenger to show off to Rhodey and Tony once he returned to the tower. 

Bucky entered the tower with a smile plastered across his face, and  even though he wasn’t a fan of the comparison, it felt it was very apt to compare his exuberance to that of  a dog wagging its tail. He stepped into the elevator and asked FRIDAY to take him to Tony or Rhodey. 

“You’re in luck. It appears the two of them are currently occupied with Vision in Tony’s lab.”

Bucky startled at the new information. “Vision?”

“He does like to make the occasional visit,” FRIDAY commented. 

Bucky nodded, storing the information away in his brain for later use. He waited impatiently for the elevator to arrive at Tony’s lab. When it did, he hurried out of the elevator and into Tony’s lab. 

Dum-E waved like a little kid at Bucky’s entrance while Tony, Vision, and Rhodey were engrossed looking over some piece of tech that had come from the Avians. 

“It really is fascinating how simple it is in structure yet the amount of power it must output--” Vision was cut off by Tony.

“I know, the power output looks like it should fry this beauty,” Tony interrupted. “Also, have you felt this thing in your hands? It feels like it is made from plastic.”

“They are part bird,” Rhodey injected. “If they can fly then they’d need light weight weaponry.”

“I doubt they fly, considering their attack patterns. They must be related to the Dodo bird.”

“Don’t let them hear you say that,” Rhodey warned Tony. “If they learn what a Dodo bird is and the general opinion of Dodos then we might have another battle on our hands.”

Tony waved off Rhodey’s concern, his gaze flicking up to Bucky. 

“Well, if it isn’t the big bad wolf.” The smile on Tony’s face widened exponentially. His gaze landed on the box tucked under Bucky’s arm. “Did someone bring me a gift?” Tony batted his eyelashes at Bucky in exaggeration.

“More like a gift for everyone, but if it soothes your ego then you can pretend it’s just for you.” Bucky strolled over to the table where the three had been examining Avian weaponry and set down the box. With a flick of his wrist, he popped open the lid. 

The way Tony’s eyes lit up at the sight of the Avenger cookies was reward enough for Bucky.

“Dang.” Rhodey whistled in appreciation. “Someone spent a lot of time on those.”

Vision cocked his head in curiosity. 

Tony was the first to reach inside the box, and of course he pulled out a War Machine cookie. He held it up to his face and pretended to snuggle it. “My very own Honeybear.” He kissed the cookie. “How I’ve longed for you.”

“Really, Tony?” Rhodey reached into the box and pulled out an Iron Man cookie.

“Why do you resist my love?” Tony mock pouted. 

Rhodey bit the head off his Iron Man cookie.

Tony gasped and huddled against Bucky as if seeking protection. “Cannibal.” 

“Like you weren’t about to eat mine.”

“I was going to cherish yours forever and ever.”

While Tony and Rhodey playfully bickered, Vision pulled out a Scarlet Witch cookie from the box. He smiled fondly down at the baked good then looked at Bucky. “May I take this one back to SHIELD? I think Wanda would like to see it.” 

Bucky nodded, snaking an arm around Tony’s waist. “Sure. Take yours too if you want. I bought a few extras.”

Vision nodded his head in gratitude. He muttered a thanks as he took a cookie shaped like him from the box.

Tony huffed and leaned into Bucky more. He poked Bucky in the cheek. “Why aren’t there any Winter Soldier cookies?” 

“Because the bakery didn’t have any.”

“Did they run out?” Tony asked.

Bucky shook his head. “Not everyone is crazy about me being an Avenger, Tony.” 

“That’s no excuse,” Tony said. “You’re an Avenger whether people want you to be or not. FRIDAY, make a note, we’re going to organize a cookie baking contest. Whoever makes the best Bucky cookie wins. We’ll figure out prizes later.”

Rhodey groaned. “I know how this is going to end. Whoever makes a life-size Bucky cookie will be the winner.”

“You don’t know that,” Tony argued.

“You’re right. I don’t know if someone is going to be daring enough to make a life-size cookie of Bucky with an erect penis, because if someone does that one will be the winner. Your inner thirteen-year-old would not accept anything else.”

“Are you calling me a thirteen-year-old?”

“No, I’m saying your mind-set is that of a thirteen-year-old.”

“I feel so abused right now.” Tony pretended to sniffle.

Bucky let out a happy grumble and nudged Tony’s cheek with his own. “You’re cute, but you’re dramatics are getting a little wild.” 

“You haven’t seen wild.” Tony turned his head and nipped Bucky on the cheek.

Bucky startled and let out a yelp of surprise.

Tony wiggled his eyebrows. “Two can play this game.” 

“And there we go with the flirting.” Rhodey sighed and turned to Vision. “They are almost as bad as you and Wanda.” 

It wasn’t physically possible for Vision to blush, but Bucky swore if the Synthezoid could, Vision would be as  red as a tomato. “I do not believe I know what you are referring to.”

Rhodey’s face pinched. “I understand that you're technically still a baby, but I do not believe for a second that you don’t know what a crush is.”

“Of course I know what a crush is. It is an infatuation. The word crush though has a lighter connotation than the previous word. There is a certain level of innocence associated with--”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Rhodey cut Vision off. “We all know that you can define the word. We also all know that you have a special fascination with Wanda. A certain  _ favoritism _ .”

“I do enjoy Wanda’s company,” Vision said. “And perhaps she does inspire feelings of a sort, but to liken those feelings to the open affection Tony and Bucky have to one another… that I am not sure is accurate.”

“How come?” Tony asked.

“I do not know if such romantic feelings are mutual between us.”

Tony perked up. “Oh!” He grinned. “Oh…”

Rhodey shook his head. “No. No matchmaker Tony. Matchmaker Tony leads to disaster.”

Tony slipped out from Bucky’s hold and slung his arm around Vision’s neck. “Vision, my son, let me teach you how to court women.”

Rhodey groaned and buried his face in his hand. “This is going to be a disaster.” 

Bucky grinned. “I don’t know. This could be very amusing.” 

* * *

“I don’t know how, but you’re cheating.” Tony gently kicked Thor in the ribs as he madly smashed the buttons on his console controller.

Thor chuckled, tossed his controller aside, and captured Tony in an affectionate yet suffocating headlock. “Ah, Tony, do not be depressed because you have grown old and no longer possess the reflexes to beat me at a children’s game.”

Tony glared at Thor. “You sassy asshole.”

Bucky leaned against the back of the living room couch. He was pleased to see that Thor and Tony were getting along. It had been a while since Thor’s last visit, but he had made it worth the wait by dedicating his day to having a relaxing time with Tony, Bucky, and Rhodey (before Rhodey had taken off, mentioning something about a date). “You know, you could beat him when you were a cat. I think your cuteness distracts Thor. You should try playing as a cat again.”

“I do not need to be a cat or have a distraction to beat Thor at video games.” Tony shoved Thor’s arm off him. “Someone has been practicing. You’ve been hanging out with that Darcy girl, haven’t you?”

Thor hummed in thought and picked up his controller. “Your Midgardian days bleed together. It would be like you trying to recall the fine details of a single second long since past.”

“Smartass.”

“I have never tested the intelligence of my buttocks, but seeing as I am an Asgardian Prince—”

Tony slapped his hand over Thor’s mouth. “Yeah, no. That was not an invitation to continue with your sass.”

“I don’t know.” Bucky picked at the corner of the label on his beer bottle. “I like sassy Thor. It beats the dry wit and sarcasm that comes out of Steve’s mouth.”

“Isn’t he your best friend?” Tony asked innocently, but Bucky could see the glimmer of intrigue in the genius’ eyes.

“Yes, but I’ve been on the wrong side of that scathing humor to last me multiple lifetimes. Trust me, when you have one of those stupid ideas—so stupid that when you think back on it you have to wonder how high you must have been and wonder how you managed to get that high, because there just no way in any universe that that idea made sense sober—and Steve is there to witness it, and he makes that five words or less comment that just cuts right through to your soul, you’ll understand my pain.”

“I have had some stupid ideas,” Tony rebuked.

“That is not something you should flaunt,” Bucky said.

Tony gestured at himself. “I’m just saying that I have had some stupid moments, and I have dealt with the dry sarcasm of Steve. It is not that bad.”

“Then you haven’t really experienced it.”

“Thor,” Tony turned to the demi-god, “tell Bucky that we have all been on the receiving end of Steve’s dry humor, and no one has been emotionally scarred or traumatized.”

Thor faked a shudder. “I cannot lie, Tony.”

Tony pointed at Bucky and Thor. “This is cute, the two of you teaming up against me. Really, it just puts me in the mood to cuddle.” Tony haughtily raised his nose in the air. “You can forget about movie night tonight, Bucky.”

“Perfect, then you’re free to go on a date tonight,” Bucky said.

Tony’s head snapped toward Bucky.

Bucky shrugged and took a swig of his beer. “We’ve been living together for a few weeks now. I think by now we know that we can live with each other, and I think we’ve also proven that we are both very attracted to each other.”

“What kind of date?” Tony asked, his tone cautious.

“Well, we can stick to the movie theme and go to the theater, or I was thinking burgers and a walk around Central Park.”

“Burgers and Central Park?” Tony repeated. “You know I can take us to a five star restaurant, right?”

“Yeah, but do you really want all of that fancy food, or do you want a greasy burger with chili fries? We can even get you a milkshake.”

“Touché,” Tony responded. “Perfect date for me.”

Thor pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. “I am so honored that I get to bare witness to this moment of romance between you two. May your love blossom.”

Tony shoved Thor. “I think I’ve had enough of you, Shakespeare.”

“Are you referencing the playwright or the flamboyant pirate?”

Bucky wrinkled his nose at Thor’s question. “What are you talking about?”

Thor turned wide eyes on Tony. “You have failed to enlighten our shield brother about one of the most endearing and comedic romances of modern Midgard?”

“Listen, there is a long list of movies we need to get through, and—”

Thor threw up his hand to silence Tony. He exited out of the video game they were playing. “No. It is my duty as Bucky’s shield brother to show him this modern delight.”

Bucky shrugged and vaulted over the couch then flopped down onto it. “All right. Let’s see this modern marvel.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter is short, but my plan is to have another chapter posted relatively soon, so please enjoy this in the meantime.

Tony shivered and curled in on himself. “This is what I get for agreeing to go on a casual date with you and not somewhere fancy.” A cold breeze blasted Tony and Bucky, and Tony hugged himself tighter.

“Come on.” Bucky grabbed Tony’s elbow and dragged him off to the the edge of the sidewalk so they wouldn’t be in the way of other couples strolling through the park that night. Once they on the outskirts of the paved path, Bucky unzipped his coat then pulled Tony in close so Tony was pressed against his chest. Bucky stuffed his hands in coat’s pockets and wrapped his arms around Tony. The coat was too small to cover both of them, but it gave Tony an extra bit of protection from the cold and allowed them to share body heat. 

Tony chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Bucky’s waist. “Was this you master plan? Take me out on one of the coldest nights in the city so that you’ll have an excuse to hold me?” A puff of cloud came out of Tony’s mouth as he spoke. 

Bucky did his best to wrap the coat further around Tony. “It’s not even snowing. You can’t call this one of the coldest nights.”

“I can and I will.” Tony raised his nose haughtily in the air then quickly buried it in Bucky’s shoulder when another gust of wind picked up. 

Bucky rubbed Tony’s back. “Walking might help keep you warm more.”

Tony shook his head and sighed into Bucky’s shoulder. “The science agrees, but there has not been enough scientific study done on super soldiers.” Tony’s hand slid up and down Bucky’s back under the coat. “Trust me, the amount of heat you radiate is better than what my body would generate while walking.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Bucky looked past Tony, skimming the park. There were usually hot dog and coffee stands throughout the park, but only a few stayed open late at night. Tony and him had already eaten, but he was sure Tony wouldn’t protest a cup of coffee just to keep his hands warm. 

Tony rose on his toes and kissed the corner of Bucky’s mouth. “There are other ways to stay warm too.” Tony wiggled his eyebrows. 

Bucky laughed and kissed Tony. “A good idea, if not delivered cornily.”

Tony huffed. “Excuse you? That was some smooth flirting there you just witnessed. Casanova-levels of flirting.”

Bucky made a noncommittal hum of agreement and pressed his mouth to Tony’s. Despite the cold, Tony’s breath was warm against Bucky’s mouth. The genius’ lips were chapped, but that didn’t stop Bucky from relishing the way they slotted and slid against his. 

He encouraged Tony closer with a hand pressed firmly to Tony’s cradle. Tony made a happy yet surprised sound when the tiny sliver of air that had separated them was gone. It was almost awkward how close they were, but Bucky was too busy enjoying himself to care.

When Bucky broke the kiss, Tony was staring up at him a little dazed. 

Tony frowned. “You…” Tony’s brow knitted together as he pinched Bucky’s back. “You completely avoided responding to my assertion.”

“I think kissing you counts as a response.” 

“Oh really? So then was your kiss an agreement or a disagreement?”

Bucky temporarily took his hand out of his pocket to ruffled Tony’s hair. “It means, you can be the biggest cornball on the planet, and I’ll still want to kiss you.”

Tony shivered. “That is not an answer.”

Bucky grinned. “No, but you have to admit, it was a lot smoother than ‘There are other ways to stay warm.’”

Tony scoffed and pulled out of Bucky’s arms. “Everyone's a critic.”

The cold wind picked up again and Tony shuddered. 

Bucky came up behind Tony and hugged him. “There’s an exit just a little bit away. We can probably find a coffee shop nearby.”

Tony sighed in bliss and sank against Bucky. “The benefits of living in New York. There is a coffee shop on every block. Sometimes two or three.” 

Bucky huffed. “It’s both astounding and convenient.”

Tony chuckled and ribbed Bucky. “Careful, some of your old man started showing.”

“I just remember a time when people weren’t so dependent on coffee.”

“You lie. People always were. Even dinosaurs were.”

“Whatever you say, Tony.”

Bucky and Tony tried to walk while embracing, but after a few fumbling steps it was obvious to both that they couldn’t do so.  Bucky took off his coat and slung it around Tony, but the smaller man still shuddered every time the wind picked up.

“I’ve spent too much time in California,” Tony said. “Well, Southern California. The part where the sun never goes away. Point is, I have become too weak and susceptible to the cold.” Tony sighed overdramatically. 

Bucky hesitated with his response. He had an idea, but he knew Tony wouldn’t like it. Still, if Tony really was  _ that _ cold… “You might be warmer in your full shift form.”

Tony tensed. 

“You’ll have fur, and I can carry you in my coat,” Bucky tacked on. “You don’t have to though. I just don’t want you freezing.”

“Says the guy who was cryogenically frozen for decades.”

“Just means I have experience with cold.” Bucky winked at Tony. 

Tony grumbled. He shuffled closer to Bucky so their arms brushed. 

Bucky slung his arm around Tony’s shoulders. He held Tony close as they strolled through the park, the exit coming into sight. 

“Probably shouldn’t have mentioned the whole frozen thing,” Tony mumbled as they left the park.

Bucky shrugged. “Some of my best memories over the decades are of being frozen. As the Winter Soldier it just meant I was going to sleep. It also meant no more training, torture, or killing. The cryochamber really was the best part.”

Tony was tense under Bucky’s arm, and Bucky didn’t like it. He affectionately headbutted Tony’s temple with his forehead and kissed Tony. “Sorry, probably more than you wanted to hear.”

Tony shook his head. “No, I just—I never thought of it that way. It also puts some things in a new perspective.” Tony’s arm snaked around Bucky’s waist and he kissed Bucky on the cheek. “You’re my favorite, you know.”

Bucky beamed. “I will wear that title with honor until Rhodey shows up.”

Tony guffawed and rested his head on Bucky’s shoulders. “You know me so well.” 

A happy rumble echoed in Bucky’s chest. He guided Tony toward the closest coffee shop and held the door open for the genius.

Tony winked at Bucky as he waltzed inside to join the queue of patrons waiting for coffee. 

Bucky joined Tony in the line, sweeping Tony’s hands into his and rubbing them between his palms. Even with all of his prior efforts Tony’s hands were like ice cubes. “Cold hands, warm heart, right?” Bucky teased.

Tony made a disbelieving sound but offered an indulgent smile. “Okay, now you’re just trying to show off your own set of flirting skills.”

Bucky smirked. “I’m just trying make sure I get another date out of this.”

Tony chuckled as they moved up in the line. “You keep this up and you are guaranteed at least five.”

“Five? Nah, not enough. I need ten.”

“Dear Tesla.” Tony took one of his hands back to rest it on his stomach as he fought to keep his laughter quiet. “You are so full of it.”

“I just know what I like, and I like you.”

Tony scoffed, but squeezed Bucky’s hand. “Who’s the corny one now?”

Bucky kissed Tony on the cheek—smiling all the while. “Have I tempted you into fifteen dates yet?”

“Fifteen? What happened to ten?”

“I’m ambitious.”

Tony chortled and kissed Bucky. “Fine. How about ten for now?”

Bucky hummed in contemplation. “Twenty?”

Tony swatted Bucky. “Keep arguing and you only get a second date.”

“Ten it is,” Bucky agreed and brought Tony’s hand up to kiss. He already had a few ideas for their next set of dates. 


	14. Chapter 14

“This is nice,” Steve commented.

“What is?” Bucky let out a sleepy yet happy noise as he sank farther into the couch and slipped his legs under Steve’s butt. “Your butt’s warm.”

“Is that a compliment?” Steve teased, also stretching out across the couch and letting his legs slide under Bucky’s ass. “Cause yours is too.”

Bucky groaned and let his head loll against the back of the couch. His fingers tapped out a rhythm against the neck of his beer bottle. Thanks to Thor and his Asgardian alcohol, Bucky was happily buzzed and enjoying some down time with his best friend.

Bucky kicked Steve’s butt. “You need to be more drunk.”

Steve threw his head back and laughed. His cheeks were stained pink. “I’m already drunk enough. Any more and I won’t be able to sober up if we get called in to fight.”

Bucky booed Steve and kicked him again. “We never knew when the Germans were going to attack, and we still got pretty drunk.”

“No,  _ you _ got drunk. I couldn’t. Remember?”

Bucky blinked. His eyes drew together, and he swore he could see the tip of his nose.

“You’re such a bore,” Bucky whined. He took a swig of beer.

“You’re only saying that because you’re drunk.” Steve patted Bucky’s leg.

“No. Saying it cause it’s true. You’re like sliced bread. You were this amazing thing when you first came out, but now you’re just so normal and boring.”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “Normal?”

“Yeah. Now everyone has super strength and stuff. You’re not that special.”

“Thanks.”

Bucky shrugged. “I’m just trying to keep you humble.”

Steve chuckled. “Because I’m the one with the inflated ego.”

“Sometimes.”

Steve leaned over and tried to take Bucky’s beer from him. “Okay. I think it’s time to cut you off.”

“No, Stevie.” Bucky tried to keep hold of the bottle, but the bottle was so slippery. Steve took it right from him. “Why are you so mean to me? I invite you to my apartment and cook for you, and all you do is take my beer away. Is it because I moved in with Tony? Because I want to have sex with him?”

Steve’s brow pinched. “What? Since when do you want to have sex with Tony?”

Bucky gesticulated at the air. “Have you not seen that ass!”

Steve wrinkled his nose. “I’ve never really looked at it.”

“We'll look at it! It’s so small and round.” Bucky made grab hands. “I just want to squeeze those cheeks.”

“Too much info, Buck.”

“And the sounds he’d make! He’s always making sounds when I kiss him and stuff. He’s probably be like music in bed. Also, so feisty. He won’t let me pin him down. You know he’s going to wrestle me for it. The  _ good _ kind of wrestle.”

Steve’s face was entirely red. “Bucky, please, he’s my teammate. I really do not want to picture him like that at all.”

“But, Steve, he’s so sexy.”

Steve groaned and face-palmed. “I have no idea what I’m going to do with you.”

“Do nothing. Make Tony do something. Hell, have him handcuff me if you want.”

“Oh my god!” Steve launched off the couch. “Bathroom, and then I’m going. If I stay any longer this is going to be a repeat of that one time you started masturbating in front of me.”

“Not a bad idea.” Bucky looked down at his pants where he was pitching a tent.

“Not until I leave,” Steve said.

“But, Steve--”

There was a knock at the door.

Bucky picked up Tony’s heartbeat, followed by his scent.

Bucky grinned salaciously and stumbled to the door. “Hi, Tony,” Bucky cooed as he answered the door. Bucky leaned against the doorframe.

Tony’s nose scrunched up, and Bucky just about swooned at how cute the sight was. “Did you use Thor’s alcohol in your beer again?”

Bucky nodded enthusiastically. “I can get you a beer too. Not a Thor one though. I don’t want you to die.”

“Thank god for small miracles, right?” Steve hollered over his shoulder as he headed toward the bathroom.

Tony stiffened. “Oh, Steve’s still here. Sorry.” He backed away. “I’ll leave you two alone for now.”

“Hey, hey, hey.” Bucky made shushing sounds as he gently grabbed Tony by the wrist and pulled him into the room. “You don’t have to go anywhere.”

“I don’t want to interrupt best friend night.” Tony took a small step back.

Bucky gave another gentle tug. “It’s okay. Steve said he was leaving. Besides...” Bucky engulfed Tony in a hug. He burrowed his nose in Tony’s neck. “...Want you around.”

“Steve’s leaving? At this hour?” Tony untangled himself from Bucky.

Bucky whined at the lack of Tony in his arms. “Do I smell bad?” Bucky sniffed his armpit. He smelled like himself, but he could detect the alcohol on him. He didn’t think it was so bad that Tony would avoid him though.

“Do you two even realize how late it is?” Tony asked.

“It’s dark out?” Bucky tried.

Tony shook his head.

The toilet flushed and the sink ran as Steve washed his hands.

The moment Steve emerged from the bathroom, Tony confronted him. “You don’t have to go back to SHIELD. Just stay the night--or morning.”

Steve paused for a moment, caught off guard by Tony. “I really don’t want to trouble you.”

Bucky wrapped his arms around Tony’s shoulders from behind, and began nuzzling him. Bucky was disappointed when his affections garnered him zero attention from Tony.

“Steve, you know I have rooms set aside for you. Do you really think it’s a bother? Just stay the night. Heck, if Bucky’s comfortable with it, you can stay in his room and have a sleepover.”

“Want you to sleepover,” Bucky mumbled into the back of Tony’s neck as he kissed it.

“See?” Tony said to Steve. “He wants you to stay too.”

“I think that comment was aimed at you, not me.” Steve smirked.

Tony craned his head around to look at Bucky.

Bucky leaned over Tony’s shoulder, so Tony could see him better. He smiled and pecked the corner of Tony’s mouth.

Tony turned his attention back to Steve. “Doesn’t matter. Just stay the night, have breakfast, then go back to SHIELD. Not only will you have a better bed to sleep in than usual, but you’ll have better food too.”

Steve hesitated.

“He’s Catholic, guilt him into it,” Bucky whispered into Tony’s ear.

Steve flushed. “Just because I was raised Catholic doesn’t mean--”

“Is there something going on, Steve?” Tony asked. “Are you mad at me?”

Steve scowled. “I know what you’re doing. Stop. It won’t work, and it’s a terrible stereotype.”

“Well then why don’t you want to stay the night? The trip back to SHIELD will eat up most of your sleep schedule, and even if you take a cab most of the way and sleep in the car, that’s still no way to sleep.”

“Tony, I fought in the war; sleeping in a cab is nothing compared to--”

“So sleeping on the ground in the middle of a war is better than sleeping at my place?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“No, you said sleeping in a cab is better than sleeping during the war, and apparently it is better than sleeping at my place.”

“That’s not true. I rather sleep at your place than be back out there in the middle of a war zone and trying to get some sleep for a few hours.”

“Because that is exactly what a host wants to hear about their place,” Tony’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “‘It’s better than sleeping in a war zone.’”

“You’re twisting my words.” Steve’s face burned crimson.

“I’m just reacting to what you said. Unless you think staying in one of the rooms here is better than sleeping in a cab?”

“Of course I do.”

“So then why not sleep in one? Unless you have something personal against me?” Tony shook his head and walked from Bucky, his head down as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Which of course you do. I mean, besides being a pain on the field, I just stole your best friend from you.”

The anger vanished from Steve’s face, remorse consuming his expression. “No, Tony, that’s not why I--”

Tony raised a hand to silence him. “No, I get it. You and Bucky are best friends, and you probably had planned to live together, and then I come in with all my fancy stuff, and I lure him away from you. No wonder you despise me.”

Steve marched up to Tony and seized him by the arms. He looked Tony dead in the eye. “Tony, I cannot and will not ever hate you. I may get mad at times, but you’re my teammate and friend. I’d be dead a thousand times over by now if it weren’t for you. So please, don’t ever think that.”

Tony stared at Steve with wide brown eyes full of wonder and fear.

Tony had been playing Steve like a fiddle, and hadn’t been prepared for the symphony of honesty that had come from Steve.

Bucky was torn between fawning over his scared baby kitty and laughing at him for bringing this upon himself. So Bucky went for something in between. He wrapped Tony up in a side hug and grinned like a maniac as he nuzzled Tony.

The action startled Tony out of his dumbfound moment.

He cleared his throat and focused on Steve. “All right. Then it sounds like you’re staying the night.”

Steve startled. “I’m not--”

Tony pressed a finger to Steve’s lips. “You admitted that one of my beds would be better than a cab ride, and you have no personal reasons for not staying the night, so you’re staying. Unless you were lying before.”

Steve opened his mouth, shut it, then frowned. “You tricked me.”

“No, I asked; you answered. You dug your own hole. Now either stay with Bucky or I’ll put you in the room I made for you.”

Bucky frowned. While he did want alone time with Tony for less than innocent reasons, Tony had come to his room for a purpose. He’d backed off the moment he’d realized Steve was there though and if Steve chose to stay in his room then Tony might not be so inclined to tell Bucky why he was visiting.

Bucky glanced at Steve, who was eyeing him.

Steve might not always be perceptive to people’s inner workings, but he wasn’t blind either. He must have noticed the change in Bucky’s demeanor and was trying to figure out what it meant.

Bucky purposefully held Steve’s gaze then dragged his eyes to Tony. Steve followed Bucky’s sight.

Bucky wasn’t sure if Steve thought Bucky wanted some alone time with Tony to make a move or if he’d connected everything that had happened in the last five minutes and knew Bucky wanted to solve the mystery behind Tony’s late night visit. It didn’t really matter, because in the end, Steve nodded and put on his best smirk. “I’ll stay in a separate room tonight. I think Bucky wants to some alone time.”

Bucky nipped Tony’s earlobe, going along with the excuse.

Tony jumped in Bucky’s arms, but didn’t pull away. “All right. I’ll need to pry Bucky off though if I’m going to show you to your room.”

Steve waved off the offer and headed for the exit. “Don’t worry. I’ve already seen the room and know where it is.” He opened the door and backed out of the room. He winked at Bucky and Tony. “You two enjoy yourselves.”

The door shut, and Bucky waited a few beats to give Steve some distance from the door, before nudging Tony to spin around in his arms and face him. “So what’s wrong?”

Tony huffed as he moved around so he could hug Bucky’s around the waist. “Who said anything was wrong?”

“Well, I don’t know what time it is, but you made it sound like it was early morning, and based on your smell, the wrinkle of your clothes, and the way your hair is extra fluffy-” Bucky patted the top of Tony’s head for show, “-I’d say that you fell asleep, woke up, and decided to visit me.”

“Or maybe I was in the lab and decided I needed a break?”

“No, your scent would be different. Right now you’re a little sweaty, which you sometimes get in the lab, but you also have a strong metallic or oil smell after you’ve been in the lab for a long time. Sometimes even a chemical smell, depending on what you do while you’re down there.”

Bucky didn’t mention that there was a slightly sour smell to Tony’s sweat that was indicative of past fear.

Bucky nuzzled Tony’s cheek.

Tony pouted and slightly turned away, feigning annoyance. When Bucky stopped nuzzling him, Tony eyed Bucky, and Bucky could see the bit of disappointment in his expression.

With a smile, Bucky went back to nuzzling Tony, even as Tony tried to act tough and unaffected.

Bucky nipped under Tony’s jaw line.

Tony grumbled. “Are you calling me stupid or are you trying to play with me?”

“Bit of both.” Bucky led Tony to the couch. He lowered himself onto the cushions then brought Tony down to rest in his lap. He hugged Tony and guided Tony to rest his head on Bucky’s shoulder. Bucky bracketed his legs around Tony, so Tony wouldn’t accidentally fall off the couch.

Tony pushed himself up and leaned forward. “You know two can play at this biting game.” He brought his lips to Bucky’s. Their lips barely brushed, but Bucky could detect a hint of fang from Tony.

Bucky shuddered and excitement rushed through his veins.

He growled and let his claws and wolf ears pop out.

Tony went wide eye and withdrew. “Okay, I thought we were just being cute and flirty, but now I’m not so… wait...Am I finally getting to see the big bad wolf, like we talked about?”

Bucky chuckled. “Not quite.” He hugged Tony tighter himself. “More like the big, bad, protective wolf.”

“‘Protective?’”

“Yeah, not letting anyone near you unless you want them to be near you.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“I’m buzzed.” Bucky pecked Tony on the mouth. He teased his claws along Tony’s spine. “Gotta keep my kitty safe.”

“ _ Your _ kitty?”

Bucky shushed Tony and kissed his cheek. “Sleep. I’ll keep you safe.”

Tony snorted in amusement. “I’m Iron Man; I don’t need you to protect me.”

“We’re pack; we protect each other.” Bucky slid one of his hands to the back of Tony’s neck and guided Tony’s head into the crook of Bucky’s.

Tony tensed, and for a moment Bucky was disappointed, but through his alcohol-muddled brain he was able to figure out that Tony’s reaction was one born from surprise and not rejection.

Tony gave a hesitant nuzzle to Bucky’s neck.

Bucky rumbled happily. Warmth and delight curled in his gut when he felt a smile blossom across Tony’s face. Tony pressed himself even closer to Bucky, tucking his head under Bucky’s chin.

Bucky bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing when he felt the vibrations of Tony’s purr travel along his body.

Bucky squeezed his thighs around Tony and wrapped his arm around Tony’s shoulders to keep him in place. “My kitty.”

Tony chuckled. “So you’re a possessive drunk.”

“Buzzed, not drunk.”

Tony kissed Bucky’s neck. “Whatever you say, Wolfie.”  


	15. Chapter 15

Bucky didn’t want to move. 

In general it was hard to get him to start moving in the mornings. His time in the military as well as his time as a weapon made him appreciate the opportunity to lie around in bed for an extra hour each morning. There were few things better than a nice mattress and a nest of warm blankets. 

He didn’t have any of those this morning. 

His lower back ached from sleeping at an odd angle on the couch all night, and truthfully he felt like he’d only napped for a couple of hours. His mouth and throat were also dry from having had so much to drink the night before (at least he didn’t have a hangover). 

He didn’t want to move though because of the comfortable and warm weight of Tony on top of him. 

Tony was sound asleep with his temple resting against Bucky’s chest as one hand bunched the fabric of Bucky’s shirt. Tony’s cat ears had popped out in middle of the night and tickled Bucky’s cheeks. His tail had also revealed itself and had coiled around Bucky’s leg. 

It was a pretty damn cute sight, and Bucky didn’t want to ruin it, but his stomach was growling and as much as he enjoyed Tony’s weight, said weight was also adding pressure to Bucky’s bladder. 

Realizing he had to give into his body's demands, Bucky huffed. 

Tony’s ear twitched from the gust of breath. 

Bucky paused at the action then grinned wickedly. Bucky puckered his lips and blew a warm puff of breath into Tony’s ear. 

Tony’s ears twitched rapidly and his nose scrunched. 

Tony groaned and lightly smacked his hand onto Bucky’s nose.

Bucky blinked and went cross-eyed as he stared at the appendage. 

He chuckled. He shook off Tony’s hand and blew into Tony’s ear again.

Tony groaned and squirmed. His tailed unwound itself from Bucky. “You are an asshole,” he grumbled. 

Bucky nipped the tip of Tony’s ear and tugged gently. 

Tony let out a growl and cracked open an eye. The eye was golden with a slitted pupil. Tony closed his eyes. Slowly his cat appendages slipped away, leaving him looking like an everyday bedraggled human. “See if I ever sleep with you again if this is how you wake me up.”

Bucky leaned forward and kissed the corner of Tony’s mouth. “I need to pee.”

Tony wrinkled his nose either at Bucky’s confession or at Bucky’s morning breath. With a sigh, Tony extracted himself from Bucky. He raised his arms above his head and cracked his back. “I’ll get breakfast started on my floor. Anything you want?”

“Besides you?” Bucky asked, his cheeks aching from grinning so hard. 

Tony opened his mouth then closed it. He shook his head. “Too early. I was going to make a quip about sausage and my dick, but that’s just not creative enough.”

“I wouldn’t have minded.”

“Of course not.” Tony leaned down and kissed Bucky on the forehead. “I have standards though.” He gave Bucky a playful whap on the head. “Now go to the bathroom before you ruin your couch.” 

“Eh.” Bucky shrugged. “Maybe I want to mark it more? It is a comfy couch.” Even as he said it though, Bucky stood up and headed toward his bathroom.

“I swear if I ever find you peeing on furniture I will send you to the nearest dog training school, and tell Fury he can pick you up from it.” The sound of the door closing punctuated Tony’s departure. 

Bucky chuckled to himself as he entered the bathroom and took care of business. He wanted to catch Steve before his best friend left for SHIELD, so Bucky quickly combed his hair and brushed his teeth, but didn’t bother with the rest of his morning routine. 

A quick check with FRIDAY revealed that Steve was awake and headed to Tony’s floor for breakfast. 

Bucky’s stomach let out another series of loud growls. Bucky grumbled a few promises to his belly as he strolled to the elevator and rode it to Tony’s floor. When the elevator opened, Bucky had to swallow to keep from salivating. 

Bacon, sausage, and eggs were frying in pans, and the smell of their juices doubled Bucky’s hunger.

Steve, who was seated at the table with juice and a tablet opened to a news website, looked equally famished as he kept sending glances toward Tony and the food. 

“Yes, meat,” Bucky let out in a delighted hiss. He walked past Steve and ruffled his friend’s hair. 

Steve scoffed and batted Bucky’s hand away. “So what’s this about Tony sending you to behavioral school?”

Bucky whirled on Tony, who was rolling over a few pieces of sausage in a pan. “You told Steve that?”

“I thought he should know in case he ever gets a phone call about it. Who knows, maybe Steve will stage a prison break for you and all of the dogs there.” Tony grinned over his shoulder at the two super soldiers. 

Bucky shook his head in exasperation. “I make one joke, and suddenly I’m being treated like a common house dog. I’m a wolf shifter. Wolf!”

“You’re both canines,” Tony said. “Makes no difference to me.”

Bucky huffed, hooked his ankle around one chair’s leg, and dragged the chair out for him to sit in. He plopped himself down and eyed Steve. “So how’d you sleep?”

Steve smiled. “Not bad. The mattress was a little softer than what I’m used to at SHIELD, but I dealt with it. Had a great view of the sunrise too.” 

Bucky didn’t have to look at Tony to sense that the genius was beaming. Bucky briefly wondered if Steve would ever realize just how much his opinion mattered to Tony. 

“You should stay over more often then.” Bucky nudged Steve. “It would make it easier for us to go out. Besides, with SHIELD being in seclusion, there’s a lot more stuff to do out here.” Bucky winked at Steve. “We can spend an entire day just helping old ladies across the street.”

Steve pulled a face. “Does it ever hit you that we would be the same age as those ‘old ladies’ if it weren’t for the serum? That we relate to them more than most of the people whose age we match physically?”

Bucky sighed and slouched in his seat. He hated it when Steve brought up the past. He didn’t like thinking about all of the time he had lost and why he’d lost it. He also didn’t want to think about all of the people who had died or aged out of his life. Sometimes Bucky couldn’t help thinking about it, and when he did, he often had a horrible day where nothing went right and nothing made sense (or even just a day where he’d spend hours lying in bed or on the couch as his depression and guilt washed over him).

“Yeah, but I try not to dwell on it,” Bucky answered.

Steve bowed his head and didn’t say anything, but his frown projected his disappointment and frustration clearly. 

That was the problem between Bucky and Steve. Bucky wanted to run forward and forget, and Steve was still grappling to hold onto the past. Steve so obviously wanted to talk about the past with Bucky whenever he was in one of these moods, and grew frustrated whenever Bucky showed disinterest. 

Bucky tried some days to talk to Steve, but right now, he just wasn’t in the right mind to act as a support system. 

“Why does it always seem like it takes forever to make bacon?” Tony grumbled to himself. He tapped his spatula impatiently against the stove. “Everyone else says it takes them a few minutes, it swear it takes longer for me. FRIDAY are you messing with the stove’s temperature?”

“No, boss,” the AI chirped. “And according to my data, the rate it takes you cook bacon matches the average length for everyone.” 

“Lies,” Tony mumbled.

Bucky shook his head and smiled fondly at Tony. 

Bucky slid his smile to Steve. “Sorry, I better check on him in case he tries to light breakfast on fire.”

“I would not do that!” Tony hollered over his shoulder. 

“Considering some of the things I’ve seen you set on fire…” Steve started, his eyes twinkling with mirth, “...Bucky, please make sure he doesn’t set the food on fire.”

“You’re all against me,” Tony cried dramatically. 

“No.” Bucky wrapped his arm around Tony’s waist and kissed his temple. “I’m on your side. So much so, that I refuse to let you accidently burn off your eyebrows in your attempts to cook bacon faster.”

“Sure you are.” Tony elbowed Bucky in the ribs, but a moment later turned his head and kissed Bucky. 

Bucky sighed into the kiss. 

He rested his chin on Tony’s shoulder as Tony cooked. He also stole a piece of sausage when Tony was distracted. The act earned him a reprimand from Tony, but it was worth it.  

Bucky chuckled as Tony scooped the eggs, bacon, and sausage onto their serving plates. 

The sound caused Tony to pause and tilt his head back to look at Bucky. 

“This is just so domestic,” Bucky explained, his amusement leaking into his voice. 

“No it’s not.” Tony scoffed. “You’re a princess who I have locked away in my tower of debauchery and who I have now successfully seduced into a relationship with me.” Tony held up his spatula. “Yay, Stockholm Syndrome.”

Steve choked on his juice, and Tony snickered. 

Bucky whacked Tony on the back of the head as he picked up the plate of eggs and carried it over to the table. “You did that on purpose, you jerk.”

“Oh come on!” Tony picked up the two remaining plates and set them on the table. “You know that’s how most people see it.” He went back to kitchen for utensils and more plates. 

“Maybe the tower of debauchery part.” Steve eyed Bucky. “I don’t think anyone would call Bucky a princess.”

Bucky exaggeratedly flipped his hair and stuck his nose in the air. “Your jealousy is showing, Steve. It’s not my fault I’m pretty.” 

Steve groaned and covered his face with his hand. “You’re the prettiest princess around.”

Laughter burst from Tony over in the kitchen. 

Bucky could hear that Tony had stopped rummaging through cupboards and drawers just so he could laugh fully. 

A happy sound rumbled in Bucky’s chest at Tony’s delight. 

When Tony returned with plates and utensils, Bucky wrapped an arm around Tony and pulled him close for a kiss on the cheek.

Once they had everything they needed to eat, the three men dug into their food. 

Bucky shoveled down the protein packed meal like he’d been starving for a week. His body burned off food extremely fast, and it wasn’t unusual for him to be fine one moment and then scarfing down two plates worth of food the next. There was no question Tony’s food bill had gone up since Bucky had moved in, but Tony had never made a comment about it, just accepted Bucky’s voracious appetite. 

Bucky’s experience during The Depression and his time with Hydra had forced him to eat sparingly. The fact that Tony was willing to ply him with food just made Bucky adore Tony all the more. 

“This is really good,” Steve said after a few bites of of food. His eyes were wide with surprise. 

Tony snorted. “I may complain about how long it takes to cook things, but I do know how to cook. Although, my specialty is instant ramen. You need easy to make food when you’re studying for three PhDs and creating artificial intelligence.” Tony paused thoughtfully with his fork to his mouth. “I never got the pork ramen recipe perfect though. I should work on that.”  

“I wasn’t trying to insult you,” Steve said.

Tony blinked owlishly. “I didn’t assume you were. I was just explaining myself.”

Steve once again looked surprised.

Bucky took a moment to stop eating his food and pointed his fork at them. “You two need to work on your communication.” 

“And you need to learn not to talk with your mouth full.” Tony made a disgusted face. 

Steve nodded in agreement. “I know your ma raised you better.”

Bucky kicked Steve under the table. “Shove off.”

The rest of the meal went well with light banter exchanged between the three. Steve offered to clean the dishes and Tony responded with, “I know as a good host I should insist that you don’t, but I feel lazy, so have at it flag man.” 

Having not helped make breakfast, Bucky decided to join his friend at the sink and help by drying the dishes. 

“You never did answer my question,” Bucky said, keeping his volume low so Tony wouldn’t overhear. He didn’t want Tony to be disappointed if Steve responded negatively. “Now that you’ve stayed here a night, you think you’d be okay staying every now and then?”

Steve’s brow pinched and he bent over the sink a bit more as he scrubbed dishes. “I don’t know, Buck.”

“Come on, it’s not like Tony has handed you a bill or tried to use your stay over as leverage. Besides, he lit up when you said you had a nice stay.”

“Yeah, I caught that,” Steve hesitated.

So Steve wasn’t as oblivious as Bucky had suspected. 

Steve took a deep breath and released it. “I guess every now and then wouldn’t hurt. I still have some reservations, but if things continue like they did today, a few visits will be okay.”

Bucky grinned and clamped his hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Thanks.”

Steve smirked. “Your welcome. Although, I won’t deny a part of me wants to see what happens between you and Tony. After all, you’re so smitten, Tony could yawn and you’d just melt.”

Bucky smacked Steve. “I am not.”

Steve chuckled. “Really? I want you to picture Tony yawning right now, and not melt at the image.”

Bucky did just that, and at first he didn’t think anything of it. He just saw Tony in one of his business suits yawning as he flipped through some paperwork. Then his mind decided to change some things, such as Tony’s outfit. Suddenly Tony was in his sweats and a rumpled oil-stained tank top. Protective goggles rested lopsided on his head, and his hair was in disarray. Tony yawned, and Bucky just about swooned at the mental image.

Bucky’s cheeks flushed at the knowing look Steve shot him. 

“Fuck off.” Bucky slapped the dish towel he’d been using onto Steve’s head. “He’s friggin’ cute, okay? I can’t help it.”

Steve chuckled.

Bucky splashed Steve with soapy water, and thus began a water war. 

Bucky wouldn’t deny this was one of his best mornings ever. 


	16. Chapter 16

“Oh dear everything that is pure and good in this world, please stop!”

Bucky skidded to a halt as Tony shouted after him. He whirled.

Tony clung to a lamppost as he gasped for air. A few New Yorkers gave him curious looks but went on their way.

Sweat drenched Tony’s jacket and sweatpants. His chest heaved and his eyes had taken on a cat-like quality as he sent Bucky a look that promised death. “This is torture!”

Bucky chuckled and strolled up to Tony. He stuffed one hand in his sweats’ pocket and ruffled Tony’s hair. “I told you, you didn’t have to join me on my run.”

Tony huffed and batted Bucky’s hand away. “I was trying to act like a couple and do couple things with you. But you had to be a jerk and run like normal instead of slowing down for your boyfriend.”

Bucky bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from correcting Tony. He had been going a slower pace.

“You know,” Tony said in between huffs, “I’m actually really fit for someone my age. My diet leaves something to be desired, but I do chin ups and stuff.”

Bucky smiled fondly at Tony and cupped one side of his face. “I know. I’ve walked in on you a couple of times when you’re in between projects.” He kissed Tony chastely. “I also know you don’t run. It’s not surprising that our endurance levels are different. So don’t worry about it.”

“Just remember that while I lay dying on the sidewalk.”

Bucky kissed Tony again, and linked their fingers together. “Let’s get you some coffee. My treat.”

Tony huffed and squeezed Bucky’s hand. “It better be your treat after this. My ego and soul are crushed thanks to you.”

Bucky sighed and craned his head back as if to look toward the sky in exasperation, but inside he was delighted. He enjoyed the easy banter and bickering that occurred between him and Tony.

As promised, Bucky took Tony to the nearest coffee shop and bought him a cup of coffee.

He laughed when Tony then turned right around and started ordering coffee for Bucky and a couple of baked goods from the shop’s display case with every intention using his own money to pay for it.

“Don’t you think that defeats the purpose of me buying coffee for you?” Bucky teased.

“No.” Tony grinned has he handed over his credit card to the cashier. “It’s the thought that counts.”

“Well aren’t you just sentimental.” Bucky ribbed Tony a bit then proceeded to kiss Tony once they were out of line.

Dating Tony was nice, and far easier than Bucky had predicted. Technically he supposed they could still be considered in the honeymoon stage of their budding relationship, but he’d suspected by now there would have been something dramatic that would test the relationship. Maybe it would be a visit from an ex, or Bucky would have one of his bad days and say something extremely hurtful to Tony, but it would have been something.

For whatever reason the universe hadn’t decided to test his relationship with Tony, and for that Bucky was grateful. He’d forgotten how nice it was to be in relationship.

“You seem to to be in deep thoughts,” Tony commented as they walked back to the tower. “You mind sharing with the rest of the class?”

“Just thinking about how I’m the luckiest guy on the planet to be dating you.” Bucky winked at Tony.

Tony laughed and nudged Bucky. “Cute, but flattery will only get you so far.” Tony sipped his coffee. He hummed pleasantly. “This coffee will help you though.”

“Thank god for that,” Bucky returned the tease.

Tony leaned into Bucky, going quiet for a moment. The lack of chatter caused Bucky to scan Tony for any signs of displeasure, but the small smile on Tony’s face gave away his contentment, and brought a smile to Bucky’s face as well.

They journeyed back to the tower, making comments here and there, but for the most part just silently enjoying the company as they strolled.

When they were in the elevator headed up to the penthouse, Bucky interlaced his fingers with Tony and gave them a squeeze. “So do you have work today or—”

Bucky cut himself off as the elevator opened to reveal Natasha lounging on the couch in Tony’s living room.

Bucky took a whiff of the air in the elevator and cursed himself for being distracted. Natasha’s scent was faint, but it was there; he could have detected her if he had been paying attention to his surroundings more.

“This can’t be good,” Tony mumbled and released Bucky’s hand. He marched into his home, giving Natasha a long look as he walked toward her. “No, Barton? Crap, must mean business. What does SHIELD want now? Is it Steve?”

Natasha uncrossed her legs and sank further into the couch. She may have appeared to be relaxing, but her gaze was focused and determined as she analyzed Tony. “It’s business of a sort.”

Tony arched an eyebrow.

Bucky pursed his lips and headed toward Tony, standing behind the genius to offer silent support and to also give himself a better view of Natasha. Bucky was intrigued by Natasha’s answer.

“Would the room you made for me happen to be available?” Natasha asked.

“I’m renting it out to a few interns, but if you can beat their rent, I can always kick the poor bastards out,” Tony answered.

The corner of Natasha’s mouth curled. “Really? What are their names?”

Tony waved off her question. “Doesn’t matter. Is there a reason you’re asking about the room, Romanoff, or are you just trying to make conversation?”

Natasha’s gaze flickered to Bucky then back to Tony. “I starting to think Bucky had a point about living in SHIELD.”

Tony’s brow pinched. He turned toward Bucky, but Bucky merely shrugged at the silent inquiry.

Bucky had had many opinions about living in SHIELD, and Natasha could agree with any number of them. He wasn’t going to presume he knew which opinions she agreed with.

Tony returned his attention to Natasha. “Such as?”

“Spies are everywhere. There is no real sense of privacy.”

Tony snorted in amusement. “Sorry, the irony is getting to me.”

Once again Natasha smiled in that subtle way of hers. “I’m also intrigued by recent developments here.”

“Ah-ha!” Tony cried. “I knew there was an ulterior motive.”

Natasha did not roll her eyes, but her expression gave away her deep desire to. “Besides finding a new home in which it isn’t spy versus spy day in and day out.”

Bucky crossed his arms over his chest. “Some would prefer that. It’s a good way to keep your skills sharp.”

Natasha met his gaze, and Bucky did his best to silently convey his inner thoughts.

_Don’t fuck with Tony._ If you’re going to move in then you better be serious and not just playing some mind game.

Natasha gave a subtle nod of deferment. “I don’t need to be surrounded by other spies in order to practice my skill set. I’ve been surrounded by enough of them in my life, and I’d like to experience something different.” Natasha paused as she chose her next words carefully. “Living here may not work out, but I’d like to give it a chance, if you’d allow me.”

Tony rubbed the back of his neck then gestured flippantly. “Hey, I made the room for you, so it might as well get some use. Even if it’s only for a day or two.”

Natasha’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “Besides the interns that is.”

“Exactly.” Tony nodded.

Natasha stood in one smooth motion and pulled out a cell phone from her pocket. She headed for the elevator. “Then I’ll inform those who need to know, and have my stuff moved in here by tomorrow.”

Tony shrugged, acting nonchalant. “Do whatever you want.”

Natasha nodded, stepping into the elevator. “I’ll bring a few things over tonight as well.” The elevator closed and with a quiet “whoosh” descended.

Bucky uncrossed his arms and hugged Tony from behind. He hooked his chin over Tony’s shoulder. “You okay?”

Tony startled at the question. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be? I made the room for her. Sure, I never expected her to use it—well, no. At first I had thought that she’d use it, but then, you know, everyone moved to SHIELD instead, so I thought she wouldn’t use it ever. So yeah, it’s weird. Maybe that’s not Natasha? Do you think she could be a robot or alien? Maybe she’s under some kind of--”

Bucky turned Tony’s head toward him and kissed Tony gently on the lips, silencing Tony.

Tony sighed as their lips parted, and Bucky softly butted their forehead together. “It’s okay. Everything will be fine.”

Tony huffed. “You sure about that?”

Bucky kissed Tony again. “Yeah.”


	17. Chapter 17

“I would have hired a moving company if you had told me you had this much stuff.” Tony shook off his suit jacket and folded it over the sofa in Natasha’s suite. He unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves. “I can’t believe I ever thought you’d be one of those ‘lives out of a suitcase’ individuals.”

“I’m a spy, Tony.” Natasha unrolled a plastic contraption that looked like it was built to hold at least two dozen pairs of shoes. “That means I need to be able to disguise myself as anyone at any given time.”

“But do you really need this many shoes?” Steve tried to maneuver himself through the doorway with a box that went from Steve’s waist to just above his chin.

“Shoes are important to every outfit, Steve.” Tony undid his tie and plopped it down on top of his jacket. He grabbed one of the boxes in the room and slipped his fingers under the flaps. “Is it okay if I open this, Nat?”

Natasha eyed the box then nodded. “The bag on the dresser has hangers for the jackets.”

Tony nodded and opened the box.

Steve turned to Bucky, a pained expression on his face. “I’m starting to wish my mother hadn’t raised me right. There are still boxes in the car, and Clint is due to arrive with another car full of boxes in a few minutes.”

Bucky snickered even as he wiped sweat from his brow. “You can fight an army of aliens, but helping a friend move is too much, Stevie?”

Steve gestured at the suite filled with boxes. “This is more than our families owned combined.”

Bucky frowned, trying to recall his family’s home. He remembered bits of it, but the details were foggy. He remembered things like where his parents had hid the money and their wedding dishes but things like decorations were harder to grasp.

“Steve’s just an old man and can’t carry as much stuff as he used to,” Tony teased.

Steve put his hands on his hips and sent Tony an unimpressed look. “Says the guy who just arrived a minute ago and hasn’t lifted one box.”

Tony pulled a large, red coat out of the box he was unpacking. “Of course. My skills are in interior design. I have to help Natasha make her room beautiful. You and Bucky are the cheap labor.”

Steve rolled his eyes, but didn’t argue. He headed out of the room to get more boxes.

Bucky sidled up to Tony and kissed Tony on the cheek. “Hopefully not too cheap.”

Tony blinked then smirked, returning Bucky’s kiss. “What kind of payment were you hoping for?”

“A date.”

Tony hummed in thought. “You sure you don’t want something else?”

Bucky gave Tony a heated look. “You can add something if you’d like, but I’ll take the date for now.”

“I’ll think about it.” Tony gave Bucky another kiss before pushing Bucky away. “Now go grab more boxes.”

Bucky huffed, but smiled as he stood to do as told.

“You guys are still working on this?” Rhodey poked his head into the room. He held a stack of pizza boxes in his arms.

Bucky sighed. “Unfortunately.”

Bucky startled when a balled up shirt hit the back of his head.

Bucky whirled.

Natasha feigned disinterest as she sorted through a pile of shirts she’d laid on the couch.

Bucky pointed at her. “I’m watching you.”

Natasha blinked innocently up at Bucky. “Why would you do that?”

Bucky didn’t say anything, just sent her a warning look before exiting the suite.

Bucky and Steve passed each other as Bucky headed toward the car.

Bucky ducked down to grab a box out of Natasha’s car, and almost slammed his head on the trunk door when a car pulled up right behind hers and honked.

Bucky glared at the driver of the new vehicle then relaxed when he saw Clint waving at him from inside it.

Clint hopped out of the car. “Startled you, Wolfie?”

Bucky lightly punched Clint in the shoulder. “Do I call you ‘Hawkie’?”

“No, but I don’t change into a hawk.”

“Technicalities. Please tell me that is the last of Natasha’s stuff.”

Clint nodded.

Bucky sighed in relief. He’d given Steve a hard time before, but the truth was Bucky had gotten sick of hauling boxes up to Natasha’s floor long ago. The super soldier serum made it easier, but it didn’t take the tedium out of the task. “Any chance the rest of the team will show up and help?”

“Sam’s got guard duty.” Clint reached into the trunk of Natasha’s trunk and pulled out a box. “And Wanda…” Clint sighed and adjusted his grip on the box. “She’s still working through some things, and Vision is providing emotional support.”

“Too bad,” Bucky said. “Her powers would have made this a lot easier.”

“I know!” Clint cheered. “Just imagine it.”

Bucky grabbed a box, and chatted with Clint all the way back to Natasha’s suite.

Tony, Steve, Natasha, and Rhodey were lounging on the floor and eating pizza as they laughed and talked when Bucky and Clint walked in.

“This doesn’t look like work,” Bucky commented.

Clint dropped his box down and leaped over to an open container of pizza. “Who cares? We’ve got pizza.”

“Break time.” Tony beamed at Bucky.

“But most of you haven’t even been working for five minutes.”

“Do you want the pizza to get cold?” Rhodey countered.

“Yeah, Bucky,” Steve said. “Do you want everyone to eat cold pizza?”

“That’s not nice, Bucky,” Natasha added.

Tony pouted. “You’re so mean, babe.”

Bucky grumbled and set his box down. He joined Tony on the floor, snatching the pizza out of Tony’s hands and taking a large bite out of it. “Fine. I give.”

Tony swatted Bucky away. “Get your own pizza.”

Bucky slung his arm around Tony’s shoulder and pulled him in close. “Already did.” He bit off another bite of pizza then offered it to Tony. “Want some?”

“You are disgusting.” Tony bit off a chunk.

Bucky grinned and kissed Tony’s temple.

“You’re both disgusting,” Clint said. He turned to Natasha. “You sure you can stand to live with this level of cheese?”

Rhodey shrugged. “You get used to it.”

Natasha nodded, her eyes glimmering with amusement. “It’s gag-worthy, but entertaining.”

Clint huffed and leaned into his best friend, resting his head on Natasha’s shoulder. “I guess I can’t blame you.” He looked around the room. “These are some pretty sweet digs. Who knows? Maybe I’ll join you.”

Bucky paused in the middle of eating. He hadn’t really stopped to think about it, but he supposed he should have. Clint and Natasha were pretty close. It really wouldn’t be that far of a stretch for the second one of them to move in after the first.

They were best friends after all.

The thought gave Bucky pause, and he found his eyes sliding to Steve.

His memory of Steve’s reaction when he said he would move out was vivid.

Bucky still believed what he had said to Steve that day--that just because they were friends didn’t mean that they would spend the rest of their lives living together. Even so, as Bucky looked at Natasha and Clint and realized Clint may very well move into the tower eventually too, Bucky questioned if maybe he had been too harsh that day.

Tony nudged Bucky and offered him another slice of pizza.

Bucky took the second slice and smiled when Tony kissed him on the chin.

Tony sank against Bucky, letting his head rest in the crook of Bucky’s shoulder and Bucky felt fondness swell in his chest.

He pushed down his doubts and concerns and focused on his happiness.


	18. Chapter 18

“This is your coding?” disdain tainted Natasha’s voice as she studied the code lit up across one of Tony’s many holo screens.

Tony jerked away from building a new training bot. There was a crash, followed by a hiss and a litany of curses from Tony.

Bucky peered over the shoulder of the bot where he was carefully following the instructions Tony had given him for the wiring. He was a little nervous to be helping Tony build a robot, but his inner sci-fi nerd was thrilled to get to participate.

“You okay?” Bucky asked.

Tony cursed some more, but shook his head at Bucky. “Don’t worry about it. Just stubbed my toe.” Tony spun on Natasha. “And you! Leave my coding alone. It’s a basic code for beta testing. Right now I’m focusing on easy disassembly and reassembly and trying to figure out which materials to use, so that _certain_ individuals with freakish strength won’t blow a hole in these guys’ chest cavities with one punch.”

Tony leveled Bucky with a look.

Bucky huffed and bristled for show. “You weren’t complaining about my strength when I picked you up earlier.”

“Because that was sexy, and this is annoying.”

“So Tony has a strength kink.” Natasha strolled away from the holo screen and approached the new bot. “I’m surprised you don’t have FRIDAY building the prototype for you.”

A hint of pink dusted Tony’s cheeks. “I _appreciate_ Bucky’s strength and what it can be used for. As for the prototype, I already had FRIDAY run the numbers. This bot should do the trick. And I always build prototypes by hand. How else am I going program and build the equipment that will birth these babies properly if I don’t know every nuance?”

Natasha hummed as she admired the prototype. “You’re being very coy about what you and Bucky like to get up to. And here I’d thought you flaunt it more.”

“Maybe if you were Rhodey.” Tony scrunched his face and reached into bot’s right arm and messed around with the wires.

Natasha turned to Bucky. “And you?”

Bucky smirked. “I’m enjoying myself. You want more than that, then you’re going to have to watch and see.”

Natasha’s eyes lit up in challenge. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

* * *

Tony moaned as Bucky wrapped his arms around Tony’s thighs and hoisted Tony against the back wall of the lab.

Bucky barely had time to enjoy the sound before Tony swooped down and sealed their lips together in a deep and slow kiss that left Bucky’s toes curling. He pressed himself closer to Tony, enjoying the feel of Tony’s chiseled chest. The shirts Tony wore really did Tony’s build little justice.

Tony’s arms wrapped around Bucky’s neck, hugging him close. His fingers slipped up through Bucky’s hair and Tony massaged Bucky’s scalp.

Bucky’s moan echoed between their lips, and Tony smiled. His fingers dug a little deeper into Bucky’s scalp, giving an even better massage.

Bucky hummed in delight and adjusted his hold on Tony so he still had the genius pinned against the wall, but Bucky’s hand could now cup Tony’s ass cheek.

Tony purred, and Bucky squeezed Tony’s ass.

“Boss, you may want to open your eyes. You have an audience.”

Bucky and Tony stiffened.

Tony broke their kiss and opened his eyes. He blinked then hissed. “ _Natasha!_ ”

Buttons clicked, and Bucky didn’t have to turn around to see that Natasha was texting someone.

“Yes?” Natasha asked calmly, still typing away.

“Do you mind? Bucky and I would have picked the living room to make out in if we wanted to create a show.”

“I don’t mind at all.” Natasha hit one last button then pocketed her phone. “I just needed to inform Clint that I won our bet.”

“What bet?” Tony asked, indignant.

Natasha eyed Tony and Bucky then smiled.

Natasha pivoted and strolled out of the lab.

Tony gaped at where she had once stood. “Did she really just march into my lab, take a picture of me making out with my boyfriend, share it, then walk away when I questioned her about it?”

Bucky huffed and tugged on Tony’s shirt collar, forcing the top buttons to open. “Looks like it.” Bucky latched his mouth onto Tony’s neck, nipping and laving at it in a way that he knew would cause Tony to refocus his attention on what was really important—the two of them making out.

Tony squirmed in Bucky’s hold and bit down on his bottom lip to stifle a sound. “And you’re really not curious about it?”

Bucky sighed and pulled away from Tony’s neck. “What’s the worst she can do with that photo?”

Tony paused, his attention turning inward as he considered the possibilities.

A moment later Tony was smiling and wiggling in Bucky hold in a manner that let Bucky _feel_ how interested Tony was in continuing their make out session. “I see your point.”

“Good.” Bucky dove in for a kiss.

* * *

Bucky huffed as his back hit the mat. He moved to dislodge Natasha’s legs from around his neck but paused at the sound of Tony and Rhodey laughing.

Natasha looked over at the duo, who had stopped in the middle of their own sparring match to watch Bucky and Natasha go at it.

“And what exactly is so funny?” Bucky growled, but there was no seriousness to his tone.

Tony splayed one hand across his abdomen. “Sorry. It’s just… you always fall for it.”

Rhodey snickered, leaning against Tony as he did so. “We were wondering if you’d even make it to five minutes into your match before she’d pin you down with her thighs, and you barely made it to two.”

Bucky quirked an eyebrow. He could admit that he tended to be caught off guard whenever Natasha leaped at him with the intent to get him in a headlock between her thighs. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how to counter such a maneuver, he just always expected something different from her.

He supposed he really should have predicted the familiar assault if Natasha had made the attack so common place between them that Rhodey and Tony had come to expect it.

“Perhaps he just likes it between my legs,” Natasha joked.

Tony’s posture went rigid. Suddenly his gaze was roving over Bucky and Natasha, concern shimmering in those orbs.

His concern only lasted a few seconds, but that was all the time Bucky and Natasha needed to realize that Natasha’s joke had put something in Tony’s head that shouldn’t be there.

“Can’t say I blame him,” Tony said with a smile. “Natasha is—”

Natasha jumped off of Bucky, and Bucky rolled away and onto his hands and knees. He hurried over to Tony and cupped his face.

Tony yelped in surprise at the sudden contact.

“There is only one person’s thighs I want to be between.”

Tony blinked.

Rhodey covered his mouth, muffled snickers that leaked through his fingers. His shoulders quaked from restrained laughter.

Tony opened his mouth then closed it.

A giggle snuck out of Natasha.

Bucky replayed what he’d said in his head and realized just how horribly corny and sleazy is sounded.

Laughter burst from Tony. He doubled over. He held Bucky’s hands to his cheeks, refusing to let Bucky separate them. “You could have just said something if you wanted to be between them so bad.”

Rhodey groaned, but his expression was fond exasperation. “Here we go again.”

Bucky adored Tony. Not only had the genius realized what Bucky was trying to convey, he was able to tease and laugh off Bucky’s terrible word choice.

Bucky kissed Tony on the forehead. “May I, please?” He teased.

Tony laughed more. He dropped his hands from Bucky’s and instead wrapped Bucky up in a hug. “Dork.”

Bucky hugged Tony back and kissed Tony on the cheek.

Natasha whacked Bucky on the back of the head. “You two can have your own sparring time later, and do whatever you want then. Rhodey and I have plans though, so break it up and get back to work.”

Natasha touched Tony lightly on the arm. “You’re with me now. I’m going to teach you my ‘thigh’ technique. I’m sure you and Bucky will appreciate it.”

Tony grinned and slipped out of Bucky’s arms. “Oh, we will.”

* * *

Bucky glared at Clint.

Clint was either ignoring Bucky in favor playing Mario Kart with Natasha, or he was oblivious. Considering how Clint got his codename though, Bucky suspected the former.

“Yes!” Clint punched the air as his car crossed the finish line on the screen. “Victory is mine!”

“For now,” Natasha said, sending her best friend a mean and promising look.

“Forever,” Clint countered. He reached down to his side and picked up the mug of coffee he’d been drinking.

Bucky’s glare intensified.

Clint paused with the cup just centimeters from his lips. He frowned and turned toward Bucky. “Okay, wolfman, who shat in your food?”

Bucky huffed and pointed at the mug in Clint’s hands. “Where’d you get that?”

Clint looked down at the coffee then up at Bucky. “Uh, from Tony’s floor. He has the best coffee.”

“That was the last of the coffee,” Bucky stated.

Natasha elbowed Clint. “He is defending his man’s coffee supply. You better run.”

Clint scoffed. “Bucky is a pushover. I’m not scared of him.”

Bucky closed his eyes and mentally steeled himself. When he opened his eyes he knew they had taken on a wolf like quality. His wolf ears and claws were out. He pulled out his wallet from his pocket.He let a growl enter his voice as he spoke. “You are going to go grocery shopping with me until we replace the coffee you took.”

Clint stared at Bucky. “For real?”

Bucky nodded. “It’s the only decent thing to do.”

Clint stared at Bucky for a few seconds. “Is this really for Tony, or is it for you? Cause I have to say, the person who is acting like they are going through caffeine withdrawal is you.”

Bucky growled.

Clint stood up, a smile on his face. “Okay. Okay. Let me use the toilet first and then we can go.”

Bucky gave a nod and a snort. He closed his eyes and let his partial shift fade. When he opened his eyes, Clint had disappeared into the bathroom.

Natasha smiled at Bucky from the floor. “You know, with your metabolism that one cup of coffee would not have saved you from your withdrawals. You really should have planned ahead.”

Bucky grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest. “I had. I was going to get more last night, but then Tony surprised me.”

“Would Tony have also made it more necessary for you to need coffee?” Natasha teased.

Bucky groaned and smiled at the wonderful memory of the previous night. “Yes,” he hissed out happily. “So good, but so not worth it.”

Natasha nodded. “I’ll be sure to tell Tony that.”

Bucky jolted. “What! No! I want more surprises like that! If you say anything—”

“Then no wolfing out on Clint, you hear me?” Natasha warned, her expression warm, but there was a serious note to her voice.

Bucky grumbled but agreed.

Clint emerged from the bathroom and clapped Bucky on the back. “All right, Buckster, let’s go get some coffee for your man.”

* * *

“I don’t understand.” Tony stared blankly at the TV screen as flaming cars flew overhead. “This is just supposed to be a fishing simulator, right?” Tony turned toward Clint.

Clint threw his hands up in the air. “That’s what it is supposed to be, but then this happens.”

Tony frowned. “FRIDAY—”

“As I’ve already stated boss, I can detect no outside tampering to the video game.”

“So then it’s in the programming?” Tony questioned.

“I’m having difficulty confirming that, boss. I can’t find the coding that would cause flaming cars and dinosaurs to appear in this fishing simulator.”

“Don’t forget the zombie slaying cheerleaders,” Clint added.

Tony stared at the game controler in awe and puzzlement. “What the hell did you do, Barton?”

“I swear it is not me!” Clint flung himself on the floor and groaned. “Okay, maybe it is me, but I don’t know why or how.”

Bucky, who had been watching the scene from afar turned to Natasha, who’d also been watching the duo. “So these kind of things are normal for Clint?”

Natasha nodded. “Not even SHIELD’s best programmers can figure out why these things happen whenever Clint plays any game other than Mario Kart.”

* * *

Bucky rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms as he waited for the elevator to take him to Tony’s floor. He couldn’t sleep.

It wasn’t uncommon, but he’d found recently that if he had Tony join him in his bedroom then he had better odds of ridding himself of his insomnia.

The elevator opened, and Bucky detected Clint’s scent of coffee and sweets mixed with Tony’s musk of the beverage mixed with oil and other smells often in Tony’s workshop and lab.

Faint shooting sounds, screams, and music informed Bucky that the two were playing a video game—or had been. Soft snores and deep breathing let Bucky know that the two had fallen asleep.

Bucky huffed as he strolled up to the couch in the living room and peered down to see the two curled up on the floor and snoozing.

Bucky walked around the couch. Without preamble, he hoisted Tony into his arms, holding his boyfriend bridal style. Tony talked incoherently in his sleep and nuzzled Bucky’s neck.

Bucky gently nudged Clint in the chest with his foot.

Clint startled awake for a few seconds. Once awareness entered his eyes, Clint groaned and slumped against the floor. He peered up at Bucky through half-slitted eyes. “Do I have to wake up?”

Bucky snorted. “No, but you might want to use that room Tony built for you if you don’t want to have sore muscles in the morning.”

Clint groaned again and closed his eyes. “I’ll just sleep here.”

“Have it your way.”

Bucky yanked a spare blanket off the couch and tossed it on top of Clint. He then pivoted and headed toward the elevator.

Tony’s hand gripped Bucky’s night shirt. “Use my bed,” he grumbled. “It’s so soft.”

Bucky stilled. “You sure about that?” Tony’s bedroom was his territory, and Bucky refused to invade it without proper permission.

Tony mumbled and kissed Bucky’s chin. “S’Okay.”

Bucky nodded and switched directions.

“Night, Clint,” Bucky tossed over his shoulder as he took Tony to the bedroom.

Clint waved a hand in the air, let it flop down, then snored.

* * *

Three days later, Bucky wasn’t the least bit surprised when Clint showed up with several suitcases and claimed the room Tony had built for him.

 


	19. Chapter 19

“Nice try, Tin Can!” Sam laughed over the comms. “You may have all those fancy gadgets but they just weigh you down.” Sam zoomed through the air, just managing to keep slightly ahead of Tony as they raced through the sky.

“I haven’t even turned my thrusters on full blast, bird boy.” As Tony spoke his thrusters kicked up the power a notch and he sailed past Sam.

“Cheat!” Sam hollered and increased his own speed.

“I think not.” Tony laughed.

“You two,” Steve tried to put some reprimand in his voice, but his amusement leaked through. “We are supposed to be training, not fooling around.”

“We are training,” Sam and Tony said in unison.

“Testing speed,” Tony said.

“Maneuverability,” Sam added. “Need to be able to dodge those incoming attacks or be able to catch Barton on the fly when he jumps off buildings.”

“Hey!” Clint shouted as he launched an arrow at Sam, purposefully missing Sam by a hairbreadth. “I catch myself most times.”

“And the rest of the time you give us a heart attack,” Wanda said as she and Vision practiced together. Wanda used her powers to lift up several hundred-pound weight and hurled them at Vision.

Vision let the weights sail right through him. He flew at Wanda.

Wanda used her powers to hoist Vision higher into the air and fling him away.

Bucky’s brow furrowed as he watched Vision and Wanda fight. “I wonder how well we’d do in a paintball fight against them.”

Natasha wiped sweat off her neck and eyed Vision and Wanda’s fight. “I assume you're asking that because normally you and Clint would be the obvious winners in such a contest.”

Bucky nodded. He was a trained sniper—one of the best—and Clint had fantastic aim and deserved the sniper title just as much as Bucky. However, when you had an opponent who could change their mass density to allow a bullet to pass through them and another opponent who could move objects with her mind it brought into question how well someone like Bucky or Clint would do against them in battle.

“You can always join them in the ring,” Steve teased. He nudged Bucky.

Bucky huffed. “I think rather give Thor a try first. That, or Rhodey in the War Machine armor.”

Bucky was disappointed that Rhodey hadn’t been able to show up for today’s training session. They had talked about going a few rounds with the armor on. Now would have been a great time to try it out.

Bucky internally sighed. There wasn’t much he or anyone could do. Rhodey still had his military ties, and so it wasn’t uncommon for him to have to skip team training.

Natasha elbowed Bucky to get his attention. “Feel like going another round, or should I challenge Steve?”

“Why not both?” Bucky asked with a smile. “Worried we’ll beat you?”

“More like I’ll beat you both, and then I’ll have to wait for your egos to heal before I can practice some more.”

Tony guffawed over the comms.

“Actually,” Steve stroked his chin. “I was thinking it's been awhile since we ran a few field tests in our other forms.”

Sam glided down to join Bucky, Steve, and Natasha on the ground. “Fly around with my real wings? I’d be up for that.”

Tony huffed and zoomed around Clint. “Feel like using me for target practice? I’m sure I could give you more of a challenge than those stationary targets.”

“Probably.” Clint drew an arrow from his quiver. “However, I know you’re just using me to avoid going into your animal form, so no thanks. I’ll stick to using Vision. At least with him I can use exploding arrows.”

“I am not sure how comfortable I am with that plan,” Vision said.

Clint chuckled. “Aw, come on, Viz, just let the arrow pass through you and it will explode once it’s gone through.”

Vision remained unenthusiastic about the idea.

Natasha rolled her shoulder. “I wouldn’t mind spending time in my other form.” She smiled softly. “Perhaps I’ll make a web to catch a certain billionaire.”

“Natasha, darling,” Tony faced Natasha, “if you want to capture a billionaire, all you need is a nice outfit and opportunity.”

“Not if they are flying around in a suit of armor.”

“Oh, well, in that case, they clearly have issues. You really shouldn’t bother with them.”

Bucky let out a small growl aimed at Natasha. He made a show of side-eyeing her. “Are you trying to steal my fella from me?”

Natasha smirked. “More like I’m just looking for a good meal.”

Natasha smiled, and when she did her fangs had elongated.

Tony faked a shudder. “Remind me never to piss you off.”

“All right,” Steve cut in with his commanding voice. “Shifters, head over to the obstacle course.” He paused and eyed Tony. “Tony, you can practice flight patterns or spar with Vision and Wanda, instead, but I highly recommend you join the rest of the shifters.”

Tony shrugged. “Not really much of point. I can’t fight in my form.”

“Yes, but need I remind you about Loki and his spell? Just because you won’t typically be in your animal form in combat doesn’t mean it won’t happen.”

Tony nodded in acknowledgement. “Maybe some other time.”

Steve sighed in aggravation, but dropped the subject.

Steve, Natasha, and Sam headed toward the obstacle course, but Bucky hesitated.

Steve looked back at Bucky.

Bucky signaled for Steve to give him a minute. Steve nodded in understanding, and Bucky dashed toward Tony.

Tony was taller than Bucky in the Iron Man suit, which threw off Bucky a little. He was used to grabbing Tony and guiding Tony to rest his head on his shoulder when they hugged, but the switch in height differences made such a pose awkward. Instead Bucky planted his hands on Tony’s shoulders, leaned up and kissed the Iron Man helmet right where Tony’s lips would be.

“If you ever want to practice privately in your animal form let me know.” If another situation like the Loki one ever occurred again, Bucky would do his best to keep Tony close. “It would probably be best if we get used to fighting next to each other in our other forms.”

Tony snorted. “You mean, you fighting while I have to duck and hide.”

Bucky shoved Tony on the shoulder. “No, I mean while we both fight. I don’t expect you to take down any giants, but those claws and teeth of yours do serve a purpose.” Really Tony’s only disadvantage in his animal form was his size; he could easily be knocked away by an opponent, but with proper training, Tony could probably do a lot damage as long as he focused on speed and quick attacks.

“Your optimism is nauseating me. Go hang out with Steve and his fan club sans Clint.”

“You're just jealous,” Clint said.

Tony huffed. “No. I have Rhodey in my fan club. And Happy. Trust me, if you don’t have those two then you might as well have no one in your fan club.”

Bucky cupped Tony’s head and kissed him again. “Your insecurity is showing. Stop it.” Bucky released Tony’s head and pivoted. He jogged toward the obstacle course, but not before throwing over his shoulder. “I’m taking you out on a real date later tonight. Think of where you want to go.”

He distantly heard Clint tease Tony and Tony snap something at Clint, but he paid it little mind. He began shedding off his clothes so that by the time he reached the obstacle course he just had to kick off his pants and shoes.

The obstacle course that they were using today was very basic, requiring participants to run, crawl, and climb their way through the course. Usually for the Avengers they’d have additional things thrown into their course such as lasers and bullets, but since they were somewhat limited in their shifter forms they focused more on speed and maneuverability.

Well, except Sam. Since he could fly over the entire course, he got his exercise by being the target. While Steve, Natasha, and Bucky ran the course they also tried to capture and/ or pin Sam down. Sam meanwhile did whatever he could to mess up the trio as they progressed through the course.

Bucky had barely transformed and made it to the tire run section of the course when Sam swooped down and tried to knock Bucky off course.

Bucky yelped and dashed through the tires.

Sam let out a delighted cry and Bucky snarled.

Maybe Bucky was just being paranoid, but some days he really felt like Sam took extra joy in tormenting him.

Bucky ran through the course, grumbling when it got to the wall climbing section. The wall wasn’t as high as it would be if he were human, but Natasha had seen fit to create a net of webbing along the top of the wall. Shuffling backward to give himself room to speed up, Bucky then charged forward and leaped over the wall, just missing Natasha’s web.

He promised to find some way to screw with Natasha on the course the moment opportunity struck.

Sam was coming at him again, but this time Bucky was prepared. He jumped when Sam got close and feinted like he would bite Sam.

Sam screeched and went careening away from Bucky.

Bucky mentally snickered at the dirty look Sam gave him. The team was allowed to tackle and pin Sam, but biting was strictly not allowed—too much possible damage.

Giving a short and playful howl, Bucky took off sprinting again.

Bucky caught up to Steve at the mud pit, and without any warning, he tackled Steve into the mud.

Steve yelped and nipped at Bucky as he wrestled under Bucky’s weight.

Bucky kicked Steve in the side then took off as fast as he could.

He didn’t get far before Steve pounced on him and returned the favor.

“Yeah, I’m really glad I did not agree to this nonsense when you first asked,” Tony’s voice came from behind Bucky and Steve.

Bucky and Steve jumped apart with yelps of surprise. They both took attacking poses but stopped when their brain’s registered Tony outside of the Iron Man suit staring at them.

“Curiosity got the cat?” Natasha said—the only shifter who retained some of her human form when fully shifted. As a Jorogumo, Natasha’s lower half took on spider-like qualities, but her upper half remained mostly human (her eyes and fangs being the few non-human aspects of her upper half). Her voice took on a more seductive quality—another aspect of her transformation.

Tony huffed fiddling with the wrist of his undersuit. “Cat jokes, Nat? I expected more from you.”

Steve transformed into his human self (naked as the day he was born). “Does this mean you are joining us now?”

“In the mud?” Tony wrinkled his nose. “No thank you.”

Bucky strolled up to his mate and stared.

Tony made a face at Bucky. “What?”

Playfulness swelled in Bucky’s chest at his mate’s attention. He knew his mate wasn’t interested in joining the shifter half of the pack in their combination of game and training, but another part of him wanted nothing more than to convince Tony to join them.

Without thinking, Bucky lunged, pouncing on Tony and nuzzling his mate’s neck.

Tony let out a cry of distress, then a grunt of pain as his back hit the ground. His hands went up to fist the fur along Bucky’s spine.

Bucky lay on top of his mate, his tail wagging like a pup’s in excitement.

“Bucky,” Tony whined. “You’re fat!”

Bucky’s head launched up. He snorted in disbelief. He turned to Steve and barked.

Steve grinned. “I’m not translating that, Buck.”

Figures. Bucky would have rolled his eyes if he had the capability.

Suddenly Sam swooped down and landed near Tony’s head.

Sam cocked his head to the side and studied Tony.

“Sam, my love, my darling, my precious, please chase Bucky off of me,” Tony pleaded.

Bucky flattened his ears and growled at Sam. The sound came out far more serious than it should have been, but Bucky couldn’t stop himself. He adored his mate, and not only had Sam stolen his mate’s attention from him, but his mate had complimented Sam.

“You’re making him jealous, Tony,” Steve said, a teasing lilt to his voice.

Tony jolted under Bucky. His eyes widened and roved over Bucky like Bucky was some strange dog that he had never met before.

Bucky huffed and rested his chin on Tony’s chest. He sent a glare Sam’s way.

Sam whacked Bucky on the nose with his wing then flew off.

Bucky lifted his head and growled, but cut off the sound when Tony’s fingers ran through the fur at the base of his skull. Wonderous and pleasurable sensations raced through Bucky’s head and he leaned into Tony’s touch.

“You can’t really be jealous,” Tony mumbled.

Bucky grumbled. He scooted up Tony some more and licked at Tony’s neck before nuzzling it again. His tail curled possessively around Tony’s thigh.

This was his mate.

“And you call me insecure.” Tony cupped Bucky’s face and brought their foreheads together. “Such a weirdo.”

Bucky licked Tony’s lips.

“Ugh!” Tony shouted. He shoved Bucky off him and rolled away. “Yuck. Wolf cooties!”

Bucky huffed in mirth and ran back to the obstacle course, purposefully knocking into Steve before getting back on track with the course.

Bucky ran the obstacle ten times, and the whole time Steve, Natasha, Sam, and him kept finding ways to screw with each other. A few times, Bucky would look over at Tony, and he’d notice that Tony looked like he wanted to join in. The first couple of times it happened, Bucky stopped in the middle of the course to try and lure Tony out, but Tony always refused. By the third time it happened, Bucky disappointedly came to the conclusion that as much as Tony wanted to participate he still wasn’t comfortable in his cat form outside of the tower.

Bucky didn’t try to get Tony to participate again after that, but when he finished his tenth go at the course, he transformed back into his human form, marched up to Tony,  and proceeded to hug and kiss the living daylights out of Tony.

“Stop, stop.” Tony half heartedly shoved Bucky’s mouth away from him. “You’re smothering me.”  Joy glinted in Tony’s eyes. “Plus, you’re naked and too tempting.”

Bucky smirked and wiggled his eyebrows at Tony. “I’m game if you are.”

Bucky yelped when spider webs latched onto his butt.

Bucky whirled on Natasha who feigned disinterest.

“You!” Bucky accused.

Natasha raised one eyebrow at him and cocked her head at his dick. “I can cover that too. I hear my webs are a bitch to get out of pubic hairs.”

“Now that is a story I need to hear,” Tony said.

“Tony, she’s threatening to web my dick,” Bucky whined.

“Sounds more annoying than dangerous, so I’m not worried,” Tony responded.

“I feel so loved,” Bucky grumbled, crossing his arms.

Tony hugged Bucky, reversing one of their more common embraces—Bucky behind Tony, and chin on Tony’s shoulder. “I can’t help that I’m a curious creature.” Tony purred and nuzzled Bucky.

Natasha scoffed. “ _Now_ he’s okay with cat jokes.”

“Ugh. I think I’m going to vomit at all of this cuteness.” Sam pulled on his pants and buttoned them up.

“I’m just happy they’re happy.” Steve finished zipping up his suit. He scooped Bucky’s clothes off the ground and handed them to Bucky, his eyes darting down to Bucky’s ass. “Can you even put on pants now?”

Bucky sent Natasha a nasty look that wasn’t the least bit serious. “Probably not.”

“I’m sure Tony can claw it off for you,” Natasha said.

Bucky bumped his butt against Tony, taking advantage of Tony’s embrace. “You think you can help me out?”

Tony chuckled, nails already transforming into claws. “I’ll be gentle. I promise.”

“Don’t forget the lube,” Bucky whispered.

Steve and Sam groaned, while Tony laughed harder and carefully scraped Natasha’s webbing off Bucky’s ass.

A few more minutes of joking and rolling around and the shifters rejoined their other teammates who were covered in sweat and a few new bruises after sparring together.

“All right,” Steve announced. “Good training today team. We’ll meet again next week same time and location.”

“Assuming we aren’t attacked a week from now,” Tony tossed in.

Steve nodded, unperturbed by Tony’s addition. “Any questions or things that someone thinks we should focus on next week?”

“Getting Bucky and Tony a room,” Clint said.

“Agreed,” Sam said.

“Hey!” Bucky and Tony said in unison.

Steve shook his head. “I’m going to take that as a ‘no.’ So then, everyone is dismissed.”

“Yes,” Clint cheered and punched the air. “Time for food. What are we ordering?” Clint turned to Steve.

Steve was stunned by the question. “I don’t know. I assumed you’d eat at Tony’s.”

Clint paused, body slightly hunched as he mulled over Steve’s words. “Uh… That makes sense.”

“We can order whatever you want, Clint,” Tony said.

“I’m kind of hungry,” Sam piped up, stepping up to Steve. “We should order something too.”

“Sounds good.” Steve turned to Vision and Wanda. “What are you two interested in?”

“I have no preference,” Vision answered.

Wanda frowned. “I usually just get what Clint wants.”

“Well, Clint feels like Greek today,” Clint announced.

“I just want something meaty and juicy,” Natasha said. Her hand went to her stomach. “I have cravings.”

“Okay.” Tony nodded. “I can think of a few things we can get.”

“Greek does sound good,” Sam said.

Steve rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess Tony and I will be ordering from the same place then.”

Tony shook his head. “You’ll probably want to order somewhere close to SHIELD unless you want to get charged an arm and leg for delivery.”

Steve frowned. “You’re right. I don’t know any Greek places nearby though.”

Bucky watched as everyone tried to figure out what to do about their after training meal. It seemed like the answer was obvious, but everyone kept avoiding it. “Why don’t we all eat at the tower?”

Wanda tensed. “It’s getting late. I don’t want to have to travel back at night.”

“So stay the night.” Bucky shrugged. “Tony has rooms for everyone.”

Wanda pursed her lips, but didn’t say anything.

Vision hovered closer to her. “I am not particularly craving nourishment at the moment, Wanda, if you are not hungry either, then perhaps the two of us should return to our rooms together?”

Wanda smiled at the suggestion. “Yes, I would prefer that.”

Steve’s face scrunched. His attention darted between Wanda and Tony, and he was clearly torn up about something. Steve smiled apologetically. “Maybe another time.”

Sam huffed. “Screw that. I’ll get the free food and crash at the tower for the night.” Sam stepped up beside Clint. He winked at Steve. “See you tomorrow.”

Steve nodded. “Try to make it back early so we can run together.”

Sam scoffed. “You’re just saying that because you want to lap me.”

Steve’s smile grew. He didn’t deny Sam’s claim.

“Be safe.” Steve waved off his friend then headed toward SHIELD with Vision and Wanda.

Tony pulled out his phone and made a call while heading toward the car he and the others had taken to get to the training area.

Bucky glanced over his shoulder as he followed Tony. His stomach churned. He’d been hoping that the pack would get closer as more of them moved in with Tony. There was no doubt that Tony was finally forming strong bonds with the pack, but the pack itself…

Doubts and guilt gnawed at Bucky. He shoved them down and told himself not to overthink. These sorts of things took time. Everything would turn out fine in the end.

He hoped.


	20. Chapter 20

“Oh my stomach.” Clint groaned. He was sprawled over the arm of the couch and clutching his stomach. “Too much food.”

Tony cursed as Natasha kicked his ass at video games.

“That’s what you get for eating your weight in food.” Sam patted Clint on the head as he walked past to take his dirty plate to the kitchen.

Clint groaned again and reached out to Bucky. “Comfort me!”

“Not on your life,” Bucky deadpanned.

Clint whined. “But you’d do it for Tony.”

“I’m dating Tony.”

“I’ll date you,” Clint said.

Tony twisted in his seat on the floor and smacked Clint’s leg. “He’s mine. Back off.”

Bucky preened. He caught Tony’s eye and winked at his boyfriend.

Tony winked back.

Clint continued to bemoan his aching stomach as Natasha and Tony played games.

Sam soon returned from the kitchen and kneeled down next to Bucky. “Hey, I hear the gym here is something to see. Mind if we check it out?”

Bucky took a moment to answer. He glanced at Tony and the others, who seemed oblivious. “Yeah, sure. Follow me.” Bucky stood and went over to Tony, kissing his boyfriend on the head before leaving with Sam to go show his teammate the tower’s gym.

The lights to the gym turned on automatically as Bucky and Sam entered. Bucky pivoted and walked backwards so he could face Sam. “So are you really interested in seeing the gym, or do you want to talk to me?”

A bit of both.” Sam quickly surveyed the room. The corner of his mouth quirked into a lopsided smile. “I won’t deny I was a little curious about what this place would look like. I was expecting bots and lasers.”

Bucky snorted, mindfully stepping around a punching bag, and putting it between him and Sam. He gave the bag a light punch—he might be a super soldier now, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t bust up his knuckles if he punched too hard or too much. “That’s the training room.”

Sam paused. “You serious?”

Bucky smirked. “You’ll have to move in to find out.” Bucky punched the bag one more time.

Sam caught the bag as it swayed and held it in place. “You see, that is part of what I want to talk to you about. Mostly, I want to talk about Steve though, and how you’re being a bit of an asshole to him.”

Bucky startled. “How the heck am I being an asshole?”

“Chill, Barnes, I’m not calling you a villain. I’m just saying you’re being a bit of a dick.”

“Again, I ask how?” Tension rose in Bucky’s muscles. He stomped over to the rack where the small weights were kept and picked up a twenty pounder and did a few arm curls.

Sam took a deep breath. “Listen, what I am about to say is going to come off sounding bad at first, but as long as you let me finish before you argue with me, you’ll realize it is not that bad.”

Bucky wasn’t too sure about that, and he gave Sam a look that conveyed his doubt. Nonetheless, he remained silent, expecting Sam to take that as his invite to speak.

“You’ve been a little obsessed with Tony lately.”

Bucky started to argue, but Sam hit Bucky with a look that told him to shut his mouth and let Sam finish.

“I’m not attacking Tony by saying that, and honestly, considering how long we went without realizing that we were isolating him from the team, him having you in his corner is a good thing. The problem is, you're so focused on him and giving him support, you’ve pretty much ignored everyone else unless they have moved in with you and Tony. You also tend to get defensive around Steve.”

“I don’t get defensive.”

“You do,” Sam stated, no argument allowed. “I’m not going to pretend I know exactly what is going on between you and Steve, but let’s just say, Steve and Tony aren’t the only ones who need help communicating.”

“Steve and I communicate fine.”

“Really?” There was no sarcasm in Sam’s voice, but his disbelief was still evident.

Bucky took a deep breath and reconsidered. He set down the weight he’d been lifting and took a moment to reexamine himself and his relationship with Steve.

“I guess we have some issues,” Bucky admitted. He exhaled again and sagged. He ran his finger through his hair, feeling a mild headache coming on. “I love him. He’s still my brother, but… Jesus, I can tell that he wants everything to be the way they were before all this, and that is just not happening. Hell, everything changed when he got the serum, or heck, probably before then when I went off to war.”.

Bucky took another deep breath, trying to calm himself before he worked himself up into a tizz. “I miss it too, you know? Before all this sci-fi crap and the war, but just because I miss it doesn’t mean suddenly everything is going to go back to the way it was. I just don’t get why he’s clinging on so desperately.”

“Then maybe you should ask him,” Sam said.

Bucky huffed and walked a few paces away from Sam, needing space. “Seems pretty obvious, right? I just don’t want to get in a fight with him. I’m tired of fighting.”

“Funny, cause it doesn’t seem that way,” Sam said. “You seem willing to butt heads when it comes to defending Tony.”

“Well, yeah, because he needs the help.” Bucky was not the least bit surprised when Sam gave him an incredulous look. Bucky probably would have had the same expression on his face if someone had said the same to him when he’d first met Tony. “Tony can take care of himself in most situations, but he’s shit when it comes to his friends. He’s so anxious about keeping the friends he has, he’ll pretty much let you walk all over him. He might give you attitude as you do so, but at the end of the day he’ll still let you do it.

“If I have to knock a few skulls around to keep people from taking advantage of Tony or make certain he gets what he needs out his friendships, then that’s fine. It gives me purpose and makes me feel less like a monster. Plus, he takes care of me too, so I can at least return the favor.”

Sam analyzed Bucky for a moment. “You’re head over heels in love with the guy, aren’t you?”

Heat rose to Bucky’s cheeks. He refused to answer that question.

“It’s cool, man. You’re in love, just don’t have your head shoved up your ass because you’re in love. Steve’s trying too. He has his issues and reservations, but he is working through them. So just talk. You don’t have to solve everything between you two, but you can at least keep it open. Plus, you’re probably going to need that openness.”

Bucky frowned. “Any reason in particular that you’re sayin’ that.”

“It’s like I said.” Sam shrugged. “One of the reasons I wanted to talk you was because of this whole housing situation. Lord, knows we are all adults and that we can make our own decisions about where we want to live, but I’m not going to lie and say it would be more convenient for us to live under one roof. That being said, it’s not going to happen unless you can get Wanda and Tony to talk.”

Bucky was stunned more by Sam’s honesty than by the content of what he had to say.

He knew with the way things were between Wanda and Tony it would hard to convince Wanda to move into the tower.

“You know, Vision has a thing for Wanda, so while he may like Tony, he’s going to stick with Wanda. As for Steve, well, thanks to you pointing out the Tony situation to him a while back, Steve is now more aware than ever how easy it could be to exclude a teammate, so he is not going to risk doing it again. So even though Wanda will have Vision—”

“Steve will continue to live at SHIELD for Wanda’s sake,” Bucky finished. “And I’m guessing you go where Steve goes.”

“Someone has to look out for him.” Sam grinned. “Tony’s not the only one who needs a little help sometimes, and when it comes to you, Steve needs all the help he can get.”

Bucky mulled over the information. When he had first moved in with Tony, he hadn’t planned to have all of the Avengers move into the tower too; however, as Sam said, it would be more convenient for them to live together. It would also strengthen pack bonds.

Still… “I’m not going anywhere near Wanda until there are clear signs from Steve that he would be okay with moving in. I have my own issues with her and I am not dealing with them until I know all of us living together is a go except for that last step.”

Sam nodded. “You will talk to Steve though, right?”

Bucky nodded. “Yeah, guess it’s time Steve and I finally hash it out.”


	21. Chapter 21

It was four days since Bucky had talked to Sam. Now he was hanging out with Steve for an evening, and wondering when he should ruin the good mood they had going on to talk about serious stuff.

“Hold it a second.” Steve grabbed Bucky’s arm and pulled him aside on the sidewalk, only to stand in the middle of the sidewalk himself and pull out his phone to take a picture.

The action earned him a few annoyed looks from his fellow pedestrians, but Steve just gave them his, “Aw shucks smile” and retreated to the edge of the sidewalk once he’d snapped his shot.

“Seriously?” Bucky asked. “If someone had done that in front of you, you would have groused about it for two minutes.”

“I know, but the _sunse_ t, Bucky,” Steve gestured to the pink and orange New York skyline. “The colors. It’s been  awhile since I’ve seen such a nice looking sky in the city.”

Bucky snorted, hand on his hip as Steve proceeded to show off the picture he had taken. The picture was nothing compared to the real deal, but pictures never were. “You’re starting to sound like a modern day Brooklyn hipster, Steve.”

Steve chuckled and pocketed his phone. “At least I’m blending in somewhere. Of course it just happens to be with a bunch of young adults who think retro is all the rage.”

Bucky hummed in thought, peeling away from the edge of the sidewalk and journeying through the city again, Steve following him. “Huh. Weird coincidence.”

“Sam recently had me watch all of the Rocky movies,” Steve said.

“That’s on Tony’s list for me. He’s working me through Disney animated movies. He says not all of them are great, but since most people grew up with those films, it will help if I know a chunk of them. He’s also had me watched a lot of sci-fi. He made me watch E.T. alone though. Something about how he couldn’t handle one scene.”

Steve sighed. “I don’t know how you can do it. One movie at a time is fine, but more than that and I get restless.”

Bucky shrugged. “Sometimes Tony and I make out, and other times I work out to them. I figure as long as I get the gist it doesn’t really matter if I remember the exact scene.”

“Tony, Thor, and Clint want me to join them on video game night,” Bucky added.

“Thor’s back?” Steve asked. “He didn’t drop by to visit SHIELD.”

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck, a gesture that usually belonged to Steve, but at the moment Bucky feeled compelled to borrow. “It was just for a couple of hours. Sounds like he was mostly here to visit Jane, but then she got called in for something, so he swung by the tower for games.”

Steve hummed, hand going to his chin. “I really should get a hold of him. We haven't had him at any team training sessions recently.”

“I’d say the training sessions are what are keeping him away, but this is Thor we are talking about.”

Steve laughed. “He’s probably more disappointed that he’s missing training.”

A snort of laughter escaped Bucky at the mental image of Thor pouting as the god realized that he had once again missed out on training. “Shield brothers,” Bucky intoned deeply, “we must find some way of communication between worlds hastily. Though your training regime is childish, it is still a great source of bonding between comrades, and I shall not be excluded from it further.”

Steve snickered, shoulders hunching as he did his best to contain his laughter.

“Have you considered creating a portal and sending a raven through?” Bucky continued in his Thor impression.

“He’s not that bad,” Steve tried to defend, but the chuckles that slipped through in between his words gave away his true feelings on the topic.

“Tony would probably smack him if Thor suggested a raven,” Steve added.

Bucky grinned, picturing Tony doing just that. “Yeah. Hopefully he wouldn’t hit Thor too hard. That could break his hand.”

“Not unless he used the gauntlet.”

“I think he’d be too exasperated to think about summoning the gauntlet.”

Bucky and Steve shared another laugh, and Bucky relaxed. Yeah, he needed to talk to Steve about some serious stuff, but it was so nice to just shoot the breeze with Steve. It really did feel like old times.

Bucky could understand why Steve was always trying to reconnect to the past if it felt this good.

Steve paused, looking past Bucky and at a shop off to the side of him. Steve pointed at the shop. “Is that where you found those cookies Vision showed Wanda?”

Bucky stopped and looked at the shop. He recognized the place by its red framed windows and the golden, cursive writing on the shop door. The scent of sugar and baked goods teased Bucky’s nostrils as a couple walked out of the shop with a small bag of goods in hand.

“Yeah,” Bucky answered.

Steve walked past Bucky and peered into the bakery’s window. “Looks like they still have those cookies. You mind if we step inside? I only got to see the ones Vision brought over, so I’m curious.”

Bucky shrugged. “Sure.”

Steve and Bucky waltzed into the small bakery. The number of tables and chairs were limited so there were only a few people in the shop.

Steve wandered over to the display case, his face lighting up as he looked over the Avenger cookies.

Steve snickered and waved for Bucky to join him. He pointed at something in the display case.

Bucky obeyed and joined Steve. His brain stopped working when he saw a Winter Soldier cookie.

“You didn’t say that they had one of…” Steve glanced around. The cashier was pretending to be busy while Steve and Bucky browsed, but was obviously waiting for whenever the two were done browsing to help. The cashier had a clear view of their faces, so if the cashier hadn’t realized they were to Avengers yet, then Steve wasn’t going to risk revealing it. “...Winter,” Steve finished.

“They didn’t.” Bucky stared in awe.

When he had brought home the cookies to Avengers Tower and Tony had complained about the lack of any in Bucky’s likeness, Bucky hadn’t been making up excuses for why there wouldn't be any cookies of him. No matter what good he’d done now, he'd done a lot of bad, and there was always the fear that he wasn’t fully free from Hydra. Public opinion on him was massively divided, so he didn’t worry about small and inconsequential stuff like whether someone made a cookie in his shape or not.

That being said, he found himself deeply touched by the fact that there was now a cookie version of him in the bakery when there hadn’t been one before.

Bucky’s thoughts went to Tony. He wondered if Tony had been responsible for the new addition, and while the thought bothered Bucky at first, Bucky tossed the negative emotion aside. He doubted Tony had anything to do with the WInter Soldier cookies, but even if the genius did have something to do with them, it wasn't something Bucky should be upset about. It would just be Tony showing Bucky support in his own roundabout way.

“I guess I should buy a few for Tony.” Bucky smiled. “I’m going to have to put up with a lot of eating innuendoes for the next few days.”

Steve huffed. “More like weeks. He’ll come down to this shop personally just so he can have fresh ones on hand to make as many jokes as possible.”

Bucky eyed the Iron Man ones. “So then I should get some of him, just to make things fair.”

Steve groaned. “I pity Rhodey, Nat, and Clint. You two are going to be unbearable.”

Bucky grinned from ear to ear, already plotting all the ways he could use the cookies to make innuendos toward Tony, as he waltzed up to the cash register and ordered a few of each. As the cashier filled the bag of cookies, Bucky turned to Steve and said, “How bad is it that I desperately want Tony to say ‘eat me’ just so I can bite into an Iron Man cookie?”

“Just don’t bite the cookies’ head off. You might break his heart if you do that.”

“What if I swirl my tongue around Iron Man’s crotch?”

Steve groaned and covered his face.

Bucky cackled.

“I despise you,” Steve said.

“You adore me.”

“You’re nothing but trouble.”

“Look who’s talking,” Bucky teased.

The cashier returned with Bucky’s bag of goods, and Bucky paid.

Less than a minute later, Steve and Bucky were back to strolling through the city as they headed back to the tower.

An amicable silence had fallen between them, and Bucky figured now was as good a time as any to speak up. “So I hear I’ve been a bit of a dick.”

Steve punched Bucky in the shoulder. “If the next words out of your mouth have anything to do with sex and/or Tony, I’m going to take a page out of Tony’s book and send you to behavioral school.”

“You’re the actual dog!” Bucky cried. “You’re the one who should be in behavioral school, punk.”

Steve gave Bucky a look that said, “Oh really?”

Bucky shoved Steve’s shoulder. “Now who’s being a dick?” Bucky took in a deep breath and exhaled. “But seriously though, I guess I’ve been a little obsessed with Tony and ignoring you.”

Steve shrugged. “You’ve been worse. I remember how you acted with your first girl.”

“Yeah, well, it’s still a dick move.” Bucky kicked a loose pebble across the sidewalk and watched it bounce against a woman’s heel then skitter into an alley. “Plus, Sam said I’ve been a little defensive when it comes to Tony, and he’s not completely full of shit.”

“‘Not completely?’” There was humor is Steve’s tone.

“He’s an asshole, so naturally—”

“I do not want to hear you finish that sentence,” Steve cut Bucky off.

“Fine.” Bucky fiddled with the bag of cookies in his hand, his nerves getting to him a little. “Listen, you know this all started with me wanting to include Tony in the pack more, and me giving you shit about not doing your job as a leader, but…” Bucky shrugged. “I don’t know, everything is just different now, and I want to make sure there aren’t any hard feelings and that you know I still have your back.”

“I never doubted that.” Steve bumped his elbow against Bucky’s.

Bucky caught Steve’s phrasing. “‘That?’ So there is something?”

Steve sighed, his head falling back as he ran his hand through his hair. “I know you don’t like me talking about the past, but…it’s not easy for me. I still…” Steve’s face darkened with turmoil, his gaze falling to the pavement. “...for me, everything changed in an instant. One moment it’s the nineteen-forties and the next I’m in a whole new century. Everything was gone.”

Bucky was quiet.

“I guess I just hoped you would understand what that is like.”

Bucky nodded minutely. “A little, but...it was liking skipping through puddles for me. You know, sometimes I’ll hear a song or someone will tell me a story from decades ago, and I’ll just remember hearing that song on a mission or the story going on while I was unfrozen.”

Bucky squirmed, memories of screams and blood fighting to come to the surface. “I probably understand you better than most Steve, but I’m not some perfect mirror to what you are going through.”

Steve nodded numbly, his gaze distant. “I want you to be.”

“I know.”

Steve took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. “But I know you’re not, so I’m also trying to be understanding.”

Bucky nodded. The corner of his mouth crooked up. “Look at us, being two mature adults about this crap. Who says we need therapists to help us?”

Steve burst out laughing, almost doubling over in the process. Steve clapped Bucky on the shoulder. “God, I love you. Don’t ever change.”

“No promises, but I’ll still be here to save your ass then kick it afterward always.”

“Jerk.”

“Punk.”

Bucky felt lighter than he had in weeks after his conversation with Steve. Everything just felt easier and freer between them as they continued to walk and talk as they made their way to the tower.

Steve entered the tower without prompt and rode up to Tony’s floor with Bucky, a smile on his face the whole time.

Tony was drinking coffee and running calculations on his holo screens when Steve and Bucky entered the penthouse. With a wave Tony dismissed the screens and greeted Bucky with a kiss.

Tony cooed and lit up like a stadium when Bucky showed him the Winter Soldier cookies.

Tony grabbed one of said treats and hugged it to his face. “I always wanted an edible boyfriend.” Tony lowered his voice seductively. “Come with me, cookie-Bucky. Tonight, you’ll join me in bed.”

Bucky prodded at Tony’s coffee cup left on the counter. “Really? Someone’s going to bed on time tonight?” Bucky sent a dubious look Tony’s way.

Tony raised his nose haughtily in the air and hugged cookie-Bucky tighter. “This is why I like cookie-Bucky; he doesn’t judge me.”

A small smile spread across Steve’s face. “Sounds like someone has competition.”

“It’s okay.” Bucky pulled out an Iron Man cookie and nuzzled it. “I have my own edible boyfriend.”

Tony stuck out his tongue at Bucky.

Steve shook his head then focused on Tony. “Is it okay if I stay over tonight?”

If Bucky had thought Tony had lit up before, it was nothing compared to the way he beamed at Steve’s question. Tony was quick to hide his reaction though. “That’s why I built the room, right?” Tony waved Steve away. “Go! Enjoy an actually decent bed.”

“That or,” Bucky looped his arm around Steve’s neck. “We could go a few rounds.” Bucky chuckled. “We can even ask FRIDAY to play a video in the background to test your concentration, and so that you can tell Sam that you caught up on some pop culture.”

“That’s not a bad idea, but how about some music instead? I still have a lot of albums to get through that Sam suggested.”

Bucky and Steve planned out the rest of their evening with Tony throwing in a suggestion here and there as he watched the two interact.

Once Bucky and Steve had decided on a game plan, Bucky kissed Tony on the cheek then headed off with Steve to the training room—the one with lasers.

Bucky never thought he’d practice his hand to hand combat moves Steve while dodging lasers and listening ill fitting 70’s folk music. After a while, Bucky requested that FRIDAY switch over to rock music. There were still a few misplaced songs, but at least he wasn’t punching Steve to the tune of some lacidiasial song.

Bucky was going to razz Sam for his music suggestions the next time he saw the guy.

Once done with their training, Steve and Bucky parted ways, heading for their bedrooms.

Bucky flopped head first onto his bed and groaned.

He was covered in sweat and should take a shower, but he his limbs were tired in that perfect way that left him so lax he could sleep for hours. He didn’t want to move and cause them to tense up.

Bucky contemplated what to do for a minute. He decided since he wouldn’t be joining Tony tonight, he’d deal with his stench and sweat later.

Bucky closed his eyes and darkness spread across his vision. He couldn’t pinpoint when he fell asleep, everything was dark and suddenly there were flashes of images that faded to black. Muffled shouts and commands entered his sleepy mind and he twisted. The shouts grew louder and he saw people. He would feel the weight of the gun in his hand. Then person would fall. Blood. Always so much blood.

He was being hit. Trained. Bones broken but he had to go on. More blood. His blood. Their blood. Screams. Cold. More shouting. More demands.

The noises getting louder and louder. The pain getting worse. Red everywhere. Screams. So much screaming.

He yelped and sprang off the cushioning beneath him, barely landing on all fours. His claws sank into plush carpet.

He wasn't supposed to be here.

He ran, ramming through the door and tearing it off his hinges.

A crash and clatter. He could see someone hiding. A woman? A man. Plaintive sobs for mercy.

He growled, running, and ramming into things every way he went. There had to be some kind of escape, some kind of—

“Bucky?”

He froze, the name familiar but with no meaning. He hunched and turned himself to the new threat or victim.

A tall man—strong and broad shouldered—blocked his exit.

He growled.

“Bucky!” The tall man shout, panic in his voice. The man approached.

He growled at the man and darted around the man to the exit, escaping down the long hall toward where he knew another exit lay.

A set of doors in the wall opened and another man appeared. This one shorter with darker hair and smelling of oil and metal.

The short man went wide eye.

He stopped and growled at the short man. That scent was familiar too. Something… It was something good.

His fur bristled and let out another growl. His ears flattened against his skull as he heard the approach of the tall man behind him.

He was going to tear these two apart.

The short man dropped to his knees, arms open wide, and bared his throat.

His growl cut off.

The short man turned a pleading gaze on him, and let out a mournful meow.

He snorted and shook his head. The feline sound should not affect him, but he could feel it--that tug on his mind and heart.

Eyeing the tall man to make sure he would not attack from behind, he slowly approached the small man. He was cautious as  he entered the man’s arm reach and took another whiff. Coffee was added to the mix of the man’s scent, and he felt himself relaxing as the words “pack” and “mate” entered his mind.

He tucked his snout into the small man’s neck and breathed him in.

Tony.

Tony was his pack and his mate.

Bucky grumbled and head butted Tony, forcing Tony to hug him or fall backwards.

When Tony’s arms wrapped around him, Bucky was able to relax. His mind cleared of the images and sounds that had plagued it.

Tony rested his head on top of Bucky’s and nuzzled him. He purred.

Bucky let out a happy rumble and nuzzled Tony back.

Steve stepped toward Bucky, his steps slow and projecting so as not to startle Bucky.

Bucky was grateful for the cautious movement. He knew where he was now, but there was still some residual fear in him that would have made him lash out at Steve if the other man surprised him from behind.

Tony ran his hands through Bucky’s fur, mumbling words of comfort.

“Is he okay?” Steve asked.

Bucky turned his head to give Steve a deadpan look.

Steve chuckled.

“He just gave you the ‘you’re an idiot’ look, didn’t he?” Tony asked Steve.

“Yup.” Steve kneeled on the floor behind Bucky. He projected his movements and reached out to stroke Bucky’s back. “Bucky’s in control.”

Bucky snorted and leaned into Tony.

Tony hugged him tighter. “Good. I adore his wolf form, but not when he wants to rip my throat out.” He kissed Bucky on the forehead. “Don’t scare me like that, bud.”

Bucky released a regretful whine and licked Tony’s face.

Tony grimaced for a second, but then smiled. “Bad dreams, huh?”

Bucky barked.

“That’s a yes,” Steve translated, hand running soothingly down his back. “He’s probably going to be stuck like this for a little longer.”

Tony nodded and cupped Bucky’s face. “You want to go to my room? We can nap.”

Bucky nodded, pressing his head against Tony’s forehead.

Tony chuckled, his hands cupping the base of Bucky’s ears and scratching.

Bucky tried not to wag his tail like a house dog.

Steve paused in the middle of petting Bucky.

From his position, Bucky couldn’t read Steve’s face, but he could sense Steve’s brain processing and analyzing everything that had just happened.

Steve resumed his petting. “Thanks, Tony.”

Tony scoffed. “For what? I just cuddled the rage right out of Bucky.” Tony snickered then pitched it voice so he sounded like he was talking to a baby. “Didn’t I, Buckster? Didn’t I?”

Bucky nipped Tony’s cheek for that.

Tony laughed and knocked Bucky’s face away.

Steve laughed too. “Really, Tony. Thanks.”

Tony shrugged. “Still not sure what all the thanks is about, but fine, I accept your gratitude.” Tony smirked at Steve.

“Oh!” Tony perked up. “Maybe instead of nap we should play fetch?”

Bucky growled and pounced on Tony, knocking Tony to the ground and licking and nipping at his face.


	22. Chapter 22

Steve kept visiting the tower. 

Bucky was pleased by this development, albeit confused at first. Having his best friend visit every other day was awesome, even if that did mean he had to see Sam almost just as much. Although, if Bucky were being honest, he greatly enjoyed the time he spent razzing Sam and vice versa, but he’d never voice that aloud. 

What was most interesting though was how often Steve gravitated toward Tony. 

Steve had made it a point to always visit Tony the moment he entered the tower. Sometimes he would just say hi to Tony and other times he’d talk to Tony for a half hour. He’d also joined a few movie nights with Tony, Bucky, and Rhodey, which usually led to Steve staying over (as well as Sam the nights he’d joined them too).

Bucky was almost certain that his nightmare a while back had triggered the change, but he couldn’t quite figure out why that was. Steve had gotten to see Tony calm Bucky down from his nightmare, but as much as Bucky analyzed the event in his head he couldn’t discern what made that moment so special. Tony and Bucky were always taking care of each other like that, so it didn’t seem like anything new to Bucky. 

Tony was in his kitten form and he swatted Bucky on the nose before dashing away and darting behind the living room couch. 

Bucky grumbled in his wolf form, unhappy at having been caught off guard. 

Bucky climbed the couch and dropped down onto the other side. 

Before he could pin Tony in place, Tony scampered under the couch. 

Bucky barked. Tony could dodge under furniture, but he knew the rules of the game; Tony was not allowed  _ hide _ under the furniture unless Bucky could fit under it too. 

Tony poked his head out under the couch and purred before tucking it back in. 

Bucky growled. 

He backed up and prepared to launch himself at the couch and knock it over. 

Tony raced out from beneath the couch and darted down the hallway to his bedroom.

Bucky yelped and gave chase. 

Bucky skidded to a halt when he heard the elevator rising to the penthouse. 

Tony came bouncing up to him. He meowed and shook his bottom in the air, ready to spring away the moment Bucky tried to grab him.

Bucky stared at the elevator.

Tony lifted his head, finally noticing the sound coming from the lift. 

The doors open and Steve stepped out. 

Tony took off for the bedroom. 

Bucky huffed. He knew Tony was insecure about being in his cat form around the others still, but he had hoped that by now Tony would be comfortable enough to stick around. 

Steve rubbed his neck, his head bowed guiltily. “Sorry, I didn’t know you two were playing.”

Bucky sighed and transformed into his half form, wolf ears, tail, and claws protruding from his naked human body. 

“Not your fault.” Bucky cocked his head toward the bedroom. 

Tony was fumbling with something as he exited the bedroom.

Tony emerged a moment later in sweats and an open jacket. He plastered on a large smile and strolled over to Steve. “What are you doing here, Steve? Visiting ole Buck again?”

“Visiting you too, genius.” Steve lifted one arm for a hug, and Tony stepped into the embrace. 

Their hugs were always quick, but at least they lacked the awkwardness that had possessed them when Steve began his regular visits. 

Steve released Tony, and Tony gave Steve a pat on the arm as they broke apart. “Thanks. I’m sure you two have big plans today.”

“Not really,” Steve said. “This was a last minute decision. I just needed a break after talking to Fury today.”

Tony immediately became intrigued. “Oh. And what does Eyepatch want?”

Steve playful whacked at Tony. “Classified.” 

Tony nodded. “In other words, it’s time for me to play around at SHIELD and steal some of their secrets.”

“Just don’t get yourself in too much trouble.” Bucky winked at Tony. “I’ll do my best to break you out of their detainment rooms, but we’ll both be on Fury’s shit list after that.” 

“As if I would get caught.” Tony scoffed. 

Steve bit the inside of his cheek. He mulled something over. He kept looking at Tony, and Bucky wondered what was on his friend's mind. “You got something to say, Steve?”

“Huh?” Steve blinked, coming back to himself. “No. Ah. Not really.” Pink dusted Steve’s face.

Bucky’s gaze narrowed. “Steve, you better not be getting a crush on my fella.”

“What?” Tony screeched. His cat ears and tail popped out. His tail swished and he took a step away from Steve. His eyes were wide with slitted pupils and he gawked at Bucky. “What drugs are you on?”

Bucky pointed accusingly at Steve. “He gave you a body check then turned pink.”

Tony blinked incredulously at Bucky. “Kind of just threw Steve under the bus there, didn’t you?”

Bucky flushed and grumbled. Yeah, he had kind of done that. 

Steve’s face had turned pinker and he kept shifting his weight. “I wasn’t checking Tony out. At least, not romantically or sexually. I—uh… well, canines are pack animals, and we really feel close to our pack in our animal form and…” Steve took a deep breath and regained his calm. He squared his shoulders and explained himself. “We’re pack, Tony, but I have never gotten to interact with you in our animal forms. Seeing you and Bucky playing just now makes my more canine side want to play with both of you.”

The swish of Tony’s tail had slowed, but was still going. His yellow slitted eyes had disappeared. He cocked his head. “You want to play with me?”

“And Bucky,” Steve added. 

Tony wrinkled his nose. “That sounds kinky.”

Steve’s cheeks went from pink to red in seconds. “You know I didn’t mean anything like that.”

Tony crossed his arms over his chest. His shoulders were hunched and his cat ears had folded slightly. He trudged over to Bucky on the floor and dropped down next to him. 

Bucky wrapped his arm around Tony’s side, and brought his boyfriend in for a hug. He didn’t need words to know what was running through Tony’s head at the moment. Tony was a people pleaser when it came to his friends. Tony deeply wanted to fulfill Steve’s request to play in their animal forms together, but he was still apprehensive to be in his animal form outside of a few people. 

Tony slumped against Bucky, letting his head fall on Bucky’s shoulder. 

Bucky rubbed Tony’s arm comfortingly.

“We don’t have to play together,” Steve said. “It was just something that crossed my mind. I know you’re not comfortable around most people in your cat form.”

Tony nodded, sitting up straighter. He took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”

Steve startled. “Really?”

Tony shook off the jacket he’d thrown on. “I’m not crazy about it, but Bucky’s here, and we can stop if I become too uncomfortable.” 

Steve nodded. “If you’re sure. I don’t want to pressure you into anything you don’t want to do.”

“God, this sounds like sex,” Tony said. 

Steve flushed. “Tony!” 

Tony smirked. “Oddly enough, the sex comparison makes this easier for me, Stevie. So either shut up and deal, or we stop right here.”

“Just as long as there is no actual sex,” Bucky grumbled and held Tony possessively. “You’re my mate, and no one else’s.”

Tony chuckled and leaned into the embrace. He cupped Bucky’s cheek and turned Bucky’s head so they could look each other in the eye. “And you’re mine,” Tony purred. 

A spike of arousal shot through Bucky, but he pushed it down. Sex later, play now. 

Tony crawled out of Bucky’s arms and began pulling his sweats down. “Better get undressed, Cap.” Tony winked at Steve. “Bucky and I will start without you.” 

“All right, all right.” Steve smiled as he yanked his shirt off his head then went straight for his belt. “Remember, you can leave whenever you want.”

“Yes, dear,” Tony said sarcastically, and transformed on the spot.

Bucky followed soon after. Even if it was just for a few seconds he didn’t want Tony to be alone in his transformation. A few seconds would be all Tony needed in order to conjure up a hundred doubts.

Bucky headbutted Tony, knocking Tony onto his back with his paws splayed in the air.

Tony latched onto Bucky’s muzzle. Tony’s claws gripped Bucky’s face, but did not dig into the flesh. Tony licked Bucky’s nose then kicked Bucky’s chin. 

Bucky freed himself from Tony and shook his head. 

Tony flipped onto his paws then dashed between Bucky’s legs, acting like a spooked pup.

Tony poked his head around Bucky’s leg and watched as Steve transformed into his dog form. 

Bucky internally smiled at his friend in all his golden fur glory.

Bucky pounced on Steve. 

Steve yelped.

They rolled on the floor, kicked and shoved each other, and had a wonderful time just expending energy. 

Bucky was aware of Tony watching them from the top of the couch, his gaze intense. 

Bucky was tempted to launch himself at Tony and chase his boyfriend around, but he wanted Tony to be the one to choose when he was ready to join in on the fun. 

The initial burst of energy faded from Bucky and Steve. The stood across from each other, huffing. 

Tony struck. 

With a meow as warning, Tony jumped off the couch and landed on Steve’s back. 

Steve barked and spun around. 

Tony leaped off of Steve and ran to Bucky. He slipped between Bucky’s legs again, but whereas before he’d hidden behind them, now he was low to the ground with his rear high in the air, signalling that he was ready to take off at a moment.

Steve lowered himself in a similar manner and wagged his tail. 

Tony rocketed off in one direction and Steve followed. 

Tony skidded under and around furniture, giving Steve a challenge. 

Tony looped around the room and stopped between Bucky’s legs again. He meowed up at Bucky, big eyes expectant, and Bucky understood what Tony wanted. 

As Steve approached. Bucky lowered himself and growled warningly at Steve. He hid Tony’s body from view. 

Steve seemed genuinely surprised at first, but then Tony sprinted out from under Bucky again, but in a different direction than last. 

Bucky righted himself and stopped growling at Steve. 

Steve blinked, not quite understanding the new rules to the game. 

Tony ran back to Bucky, and Bucky guarded Tony again. 

Tony took off for a third time, and Steve’s eyes lit up in understanding. 

The game continued from there, with Bucky acting a sort of safety zone for Tony as Steve and Tony played. 

After an hour of fooling around, Steve had lied down on the floor, and Tony had curled on Steve’s side and fallen asleep. 

Bucky had wandered over to his best friend and boyfriend and settled down beside, Steve. He rubbed his head against Tony’s small form until he got a purr from his boyfriend then settled down for a nap next to his two favorite people in the world. 


	23. Chapter 23

Bucky’s skin crawled as he strolled through the SHIELD facility. Everywhere he looked there was a SHIELD agent, and whereas a couple of months ago he would have walked through these same halls aware but semi-confident, he felt like he was wandering through SHIELD for the first time again. His nerves were on edge and he anticipated an attack around every corner. 

He reminded himself that he was on mission and used that thought to give himself confidence as he passed agent after agent until he reached his destination. 

Bucky pushed open the gym doors and felt dozens of eyes land on him, but his gaze went straight to the one person in room decked out in red.

Perhaps another time Bucky would talk to Wanda about her obsession with making sure she was always in “Scarlet,” like her namesake. 

Bucky marched over to where Wanda was punching a bag. Her hair was pulled back and sweat drenched her body. She’d been practicing for a while then. 

Bucky was just a few feet away from her when she whirled, gloves up as if to fight. “Vision said you wanted to talk.”

Bucky nodded. Considering how some of his conversations with Wanda tended to be negative, Bucky had thought to reach out to Vision first and see if Vision could arrange a meeting time and place for the two teammates. 

“I’m not used to seeing you train like this.” Bucky gestured to the gloves.

Wanda’s mouth curled. She feinted a jab at Bucky. Even though the punch was a fake out, Bucky caught it. 

Wanda’s smile grew and she withdrew her fist. “My powers are my strong suit, but I still have to be prepared for the rare situation in which my powers don’t work.”

Bucky nodded in understanding. 

Wanda cocked her head, amusement evident in her expression. “So the silent Soldier is back? Strange, I’ve heard from others that you’ve become much more…open.”

“I’m standing next to someone who can control other people’s minds. I’m not going to be open.”

The amusement left Wanda. She turned her back on Bucky and threw a light punch at the punching bag. “Hypocrite.”

Bucky tensed. “Excuse me?”

Wanda whirled, the tips of her hair whipping past Bucky’s nose. “Hypocrite. You think I don’t know why you are here? And no, I did not read your mind. It’s obvious what you want to ask of me, considering what has been happening within our team for the last few months.” 

“And what do you think I am going to ask?” Bucky challenged. He fought to keep his posture neutral and not aggressive, but his tone gave away his emotions. He wasn’t happy, and he didn’t trust her. 

“You want me to forgive Tony for what he did.”

“No, because that would imply Tony did something wrong. His company may have built the weapon that killed your parents, but he wasn’t the one who used it, and since then he has done everything he can to right his mistakes.”

“Just as I have.”

Bucky bit his tongue to keep from saying anything. 

Wanda’s gaze narrowed. “You don’t have to speak for me to know what you’re thinking.”

Bucky’s shoulders rammed together. 

Wanda scowled. “You think I’m reading your mind, but you project everything in your eyes.” She made a dismissive sound and looked away from Bucky. “Some Winter Soldier. How you can be thought as some emotionless assassin is beyond me.”

Bucky was positive that had been meant as an insult, but truthfully, he found the comment more positive than negative. 

Wanda took a deep breath and removed her gloves. She stuffed the gloves under one of her arms and rotated her shoulder. “The team is finally getting along with Tony, and everyone but me is willing to move into the tower.”

Bucky nodded, even though Wanda hadn’t asked a question.

“I’m not comfortable around Tony, and unlike what happened with you, I won’t like him like that.” Wanda snapped her fingers, demonstrating Bucky’s quick emotional turnaround in regards to Tony. 

“I’m not asking you to move in today, but I know all of us living together would be for the best. Steve knows it too, but he’s not going to ask you to move in with Tony. The remaining team is ready and willing to make that move though, but only if you are. So I need to know how we can make that happen.”

Wanda didn’t answer right away. 

“You’re only doing this for Tony,” Wanda stated. 

It sounded horrible, but… “For the most part, yeah, that’s true. It doesn't change the benefits, but yes. I love Tony, and what we do is life risking. I don’t want him to end up alone because something happens to me and suddenly everyone wants to live outside of the tower again.”

Wanda nodded. “But you don’t care about how I feel or what I want.”

Bucky couldn’t think of anything positive to say to that.

Wanda nodded, a small smile on her face. “At least you don’t lie.” She took a deep breath. “All right, soldier. Assuming Tony is okay with it, I will spend time with him outside of Avenging. However, in return, you also have to spend time outside of missions with me.”

Bucky was taken aback. “Why would you want that?”

Wanda quirked an eyebrow. “Isn’t it obvious? I don’t trust Tony, and you don’t trust me. Not an ideal living situation, is it?”

“No, it isn’t,” Bucky admitted. 

The smile was back on Wanda’s face, and she put her gloves on. “Good. How about you grab some gloves of your own and practice with me.” Her smile increased. “Just to show you’re serious.” 

The deal and Wanda’s follow up demand, albeit a friendly one, surprised Bucky. It took a moment for Bucky’s mind to process what had just happened, but when it did, Bucky nodded and went over to the boxing equipment to get himself a pair of gloves. 

_ Gotta crawl before you can walk _ , Bucky reminded himself. 


	24. Chapter 24

“Not awkward at all.” Tony purposefully looked away from the couple across the table from him and guzzled down his water. “I should have ordered wine.”

Bucky wanted to say something encouraging, but all he could do was reach for his water and drink it, so as not to let something sarcastic slip out.

Vision prodded at his salad. He glanced shyly at Wanda, who was eating her salad and making a point of not looking at Tony. “I admit this is not quite how I envisioned what a double date would be like.”

Bucky silently agreed with Vision. The restaurant they had picked out was nice. Small and quaint with a quiet yet romantic atmosphere. There were flowers sprinkled throughout the place and the lighting was dim to keep things intimate.

Unfortunately, no amount of romantic decor was going to save this travesty of a double date.

Tony’s face lit up and he set down his glass. He wiggled his eyebrows at Vision. “‘Envisioned?’”

Vision blinked. A small smile broke across his face. “It seems I have made a pun.” He looked to Wanda, who hid her smile for him behind a napkin.

“That you did.” Happiness radiated from Tony. He patted his chest right over his heart. “You truly are my son.”

Vision tilted his head, analyzing Tony. “In a manner, yes. Although, biologically—”

Tony reached across the table and put a finger on Vision’s lips. “Hush. Don’t ruin this father-son bonding moment with logic.” Tony frowned and stroked his chin. “Although, are you my son or just my child? Technically you look like a man, but when you were born I don’t recall you having a penis.” Tony’s brow pinched. “However, even if you don’t have a penis, you could identify as—”

“Perhaps you should just let Vision say what he is, instead of insulting him and those who struggle on a daily basis to be recognized and treated with respect,” Wanda cut in.

Bucky bristled and grabbed Tony’s hand under the table. He didn’t know if he was comforting Tony, or forcing himself to not launch himself at Wanda.

Tony straightened and his shoulders bunched. “I wasn’t insulting anyone. I just realized that this whole time I have assumed things about Vision and that I should really question those things more.”

“So you turn his sex and gender into a joke?” Wanda’s gaze was searing. She had long ago put down her fork, but now with her power she was twirling the fork in the air.

“Drop the utensil,” Bucky said, cold tone refusing any arguments.

Wanda blinked, and two seconds later the fork dropped onto the table.

Vision forced himself to smile. “I really don’t mind Tony asking. In fact, I find it quite thoughtful that he would worry about such a thing. I suppose if I were to label myself I would pick the male gender, but purely because it is something I have grown used to being labelled.” Vision rested his arm on the table and studied it. “Who I am is not this synthetic flesh, and had it been molded into the figure of a woman, I would most likely identify as female because that is how those around me would refer to me.”

Vision smiled at Tony. “It is an interesting question you have brought up, and it makes me ponder how things would have differed if Ultron had aimed for a feminine form instead of a masculine one.”

“No problem.” Tony leaned back in his chair and lounged. “I’m just happy it didn’t lead to an existential crisis.”  

The group fell silent, and everything turned awkward again.

Bucky tried to think of a conversation topic that would get everyone talking, but his mind drew a blank.

“So since Vision is technically my child, I suppose that means I should give you the ole shovel talk.” Tony rested his elbows on the table, and lay his chin across his interlaced fingers. He winked at Wanda. “You better be taking good care of him. He’s my baby, and to be honest it’s his other papa that you have to worry about. Guy has some serious anger issues.”

Wanda rolled her eyes. “Vision is not your child.”

Tony mock gasped and covered his chest. “A dagger to my heart.”

“You’re not even going to try to be nice, are you?” Bucky aimed at Wanda.

Wanda looked taken aback. “I’m here. I’m trying.”

“No, you’re here, but you’re not trying. Everything coming out of your mouth is negative. Tony could save someone from choking on their dinner right now, and you’d critique his technique.”

“And what about you, Mr. Silent? Can you honestly say that you are trying?” Wanda asked.

“Maybe I’d talk if—”

Tony’s hand landed on Bucky’s chest and Bucky silenced himself. His gaze cut to Tony, who was sending him a look full of reprimand. “I think the problem here is that we have too many buffers. Bucky, I love you, but I think it’s best we end the double date and you go home. Let me talk to Wanda with Vision as the only buffer.”

Bucky opened his mouth to protest but stopped short when Tony’s words smacked him in the face.

_“I love you.”_

“You love me?” Bucky whispered in awe.  Bucky had been sure for a while that Tony felt that way, but Tony had never used the L-word before. Instead he said he adored Bucky, called Bucky his favorite, and used every other word but ‘love’ to described his feelings for Bucky.

Tony nodded and pushed him away. “Yes. You’re the light of my life, but I will kick your ass if you stay at this table any longer.” He shoved Bucky. “Go. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

Bucky nodded and stood, but did not leave. He grabbed Tony’s head and smashed his lips against Tony’s. The kiss was a mess—probably one of the worst he’d ever given—but his thoughts were all over the place and the angle was terrible. He pulled away and met Tony’s eyes. “Love you too.”

The corner of Tony’s mouth twitched with a smile that Tony tried to hide. He patted the hand Bucky had placed on his cheek, then extracted Bucky’s hands from him. “Good. Now go already.”

Bucky hurried off, his head playing Tony’s love confession on repeat.

Once he stepped out the restaurant, Bucky was tempted to go back inside and make sure he’d heard Tony correctly. It took him a full minute to convince himself not to do so, and even then he couldn’t quite pry himself away from the restaurant until another few minutes had passed.

On a normal day he would want to be there to support Tony. Now that Tony had confessed to him, it felt like he should be plastered to Tony’s side. He had to tell himself that respecting Tony’s wishes was more important than his need to smoother Tony with affection right at that moment.

Returning to the tower felt like a slog through a bog. When he finally reached his destination he went up to Tony’s penthouse.

Bucky stopped as he stepped out from the elevator. He didn’t know what to do with himself.

Bucky stared out the floor to ceiling windows, his mind going to a hundred places at once.

“Are you alright, Mr. Barnes?” FRIDAY inquired.

“Huh?” Bucky shook himself from his thoughts. “Yeah.” Bucky paused. “Put on some music or a movie. I’m going to do a few exercises.”

FRIDAY did just that, playing a song Bucky had informed her he liked.

Bucky stripped off his shirt, found an open spot in the living room, and did a workout.

Focusing on his muscles and the nice burn that came with stretching relaxed him.

Time flew by, and one moment Bucky was doing sit ups and the next Tony was strolling into a the penthouse with a pleased expression on his face.

Bucky barely got onto his knees before Tony plopped down next to him and hugged him. “Hey, Bucky-babe.” He kissed Bucky’s temple. “Thanks for giving me a chance to talk to Wanda alone—well, semi-alone. It took some effort, but we had a breakthrough.”

Bucky arms went around Tony waist. Bucky’s hands itched to do more than gently hold Tony, but he kept himself under control. “You did?”

Tony nodded. “Turns out Wanda likes to cook, and since I have some skill in that area, we’re going to try cooking something together in a few days at SHIELD. We’re not best friends, but it’s a start. Baby steps and all that, you know. I’ll eventually win her over.”

Tony turned Bucky’s head toward him and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. “I really appreciate the help.”

“I didn’t really help,” Bucky said, guilt churning in his stomach.

Tony scoffed. “You set up the double date then left when I told you too. That’s help if you ask me.”

Incredulity covered Bucky’s face. “Are you fucking with me?”

Tony sighed and slouched. “You really need to learn how to take a compliment.”

“Look who’s talking,” Bucky said drily.

Tony grinned. “Fine. Then I’ll insult you. That kiss you gave me back there? Sloppy. Total mess. And after I told you I love you. I expect better from you, and for you to make that up to me with better kisses in the future.”

Bucky dropped his hands down to Tony’s butt. “I do hate to disappoint.” In one movement, Bucky rose to his feet and hoisted Tony into his arms.

Tony swung his legs around Bucky’s waist and wrapped his arms around Bucky’s neck, grinning the whole time like he’d won the best prize in the world.

“How do you feel about me making up for it in the bedroom?”

Tony sealed the space between their mouths. His fingers threaded through Bucky’s hair, not quite tugging but not gentle either. His mouth moved firmly against Bucky’s as he not so subtly rubbed his lower half against Bucky’s.

Bucky moaned into the kiss.

Tony pulled back, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”

Bucky didn’t need anymore of an invite than that. He dashed to bedroom, where Bucky made up for his less than stellar kiss a hundred times overs.

 


	25. Chapter 25

It was taking all of Bucky’s willpower not to storm out of this mind-numbingly boring drawing class that Steve had signed Bucky, Wanda and himself up for. It was Steve’s attempt to help bridge the gap between Bucky and Wanda, but at this point Bucky just wanted to pull his hair out.

Bucky admired art. He admired people who could create art. That didn’t mean he wanted to be an artist. 

“As you draw your fruit remember to consider where the light is coming and how that affects shadows and shading,” the instructor droned on. 

Bucky suspected the instructor didn’t want to be here anymore than he did. 

Bucky glanced at Steve, who was happily sketching the bowl of fruit set in front of them. There was a happy and contented look on Steve’s face that eased Bucky’s frustration. At least Steve was enjoying himself. 

Bucky glanced over at Wanda. 

She smirked as she drew, amused by her work. 

Bucky glimpsed at her drawing then back at his useless scribbles. 

A moment later Bucky sat up straighter, his mind having processed what he’d seen on Wanda’s sketchpad. 

Bucky whipped his head back toward Wanda’s drawing and gaped. 

That was a penis.

Not the prettiest penis Bucky had ever seen, but it was a penis.

Wanda caught Bucky looking and raised her eyebrow in challenge, daring him to call her out for what she had drawn. 

“I don’t think that is a bowl of fruit,” Bucky said.

“Of course it isn’t. I haven’t added the bowl yet,” Wanda deadpanned.

“It doesn’t even look like fruit,” Bucky whispered, noticing that they had earned a few looks from their classmates. 

One of the people behind Wanda snickered, most likely having seen her “fruit”.

“It’s a banana and two apples.”

Bucky reached out with his pencil and tapped the hair on the balls. “Really? Why do your apples have hair?”

“It’s mold,” Wanda stated. 

“Mold?” Bucky said just as drily.

Wanda sighed and acted haughty. The action was eerily similar to something Tony would do, and Bucky wondered briefly if they two had been hanging out so much now that Wanda had picked up on a few of Tony’s mannerisms.  “My prefered style is Vanitas.”

Bucky had no clue what the hell Wanda was talking about. Luckily he had an art expert on the other side of him. Bucky nudged Steve to get his attention. “What’s Vanitas?” 

Steve blinked, coming out of his creative haze. He turned his head, and Bucky easily pinpointed the moment Steve saw Wanda’s drawing. Steve’s mouth opened an inch in surprise then sealed back up. He hunched as he whispered to Wanda, “I thought you were more mature than that, Wanda.”

“And I thought this class would be more enjoyable.” Wanda sketched what looked to be the beginnings of a flower in the corner of her sketchpad. “This is dull.”

Bucky nodded in agreement. “I rather clean my room.”

“Agreed,” Wanda said. 

Steve was flabbergasted. He squashed down the emotion and put on a serious face. “The class is almost done. Just get through it and then you two can do whatever you want.”

Wanda and Bucky both sighed in frustration. 

Bucky looked at his drawing. It was a mess. He couldn’t tell an orange from an apple or a peach on his sketch. 

Bucky set his pencil down, deciding to sit and watch instead of participate. 

His eyes drifted to Wanda’s sketch where she had stopped with her “fruit” drawing and had instead continued to draw flowers in the corner of her paper. 

“That’s pretty good.” Bucky pointed at the flowers. 

“Thanks.” Wanda continued to draw. 

Bucky glanced at Steve and saw that his friend had gone back into his focused and creative state of mind. 

Bucky returned his attention to Wanda. “The flowers really are nice; I’m not trying to bullshit you.”

Wanda paused then went back to drawing. “I know.”

Bucky tensed.

Wanda sighed and put her pencil down. “I really am not reading your mind, Bucky.”

Bucky bit the inside of his cheek. A part of him knew that, but he couldn’t push away his paranoia so easily. 

Silence fell between them, and Bucky did not know what to do to fix it.

He was surprised when Wanda was the one to speak. “I struggle with accepting Tony too. I know he’s a good man. I know he is not the person who built the weapon that killed my parents. I  _ know _ all this, but I can’t change my feelings so easily.”

Something in Bucky’s chest loosened and he relaxed. Wanda understood. 

It’s not that Bucky wasn’t aware that Wanda wasn’t the same person who had attacked the Avengers years ago, or that she had no intentions of of using her mind control powers on them again. However, that didn’t change what he felt. Feelings were not so easily erased. 

“He means a lot to me, you know?” Bucky kept his volume low as he spoke. “I wouldn’t have thought so when I first met him, but… I don’t know. He just makes everything better for me.”

Wanda smiled and picked up her pencil again. She drew a heart next to the flowers on her paper, then drew a gear inside the heart. “Vision does that for me.”

Silence fell between them again, but whereas before it had felt awkward, it now felt peaceful and natural. 

“This is going to take a long time,” Bucky said, referring to the strained relationships between Tony, Wanda, and him.

“But it will be worth it,” Wanda said. 

Bucky agreed with her a hundred-percent. 


	26. Chapter 26

“What happened to getting movers?” Natasha huffed as she dropped the box she’d been carrying into Wanda’s new room.

Clint groaned, carrying up a box of his own and stacking it on top of Wanda’s. “Ask Thor. Apparently he found out about Tony hiring a moving company then talked to FRIDAY. I have no idea what happened from there.”

Thor poked his head into the bedroom, two large boxes stacked in his arms as he headed toward Vision’s new room. “We are warriors. Strong and independent. We do not need to help of others to move our possessions for us.”

Bucky pulled a hair tie off his wrist, swept his hair up into a bun and tied it there. “Says the prince. Have you ever moved furniture before?”

“Of course.”

“Have you ever moved furniture for any reason outside of training and combat?” Bucky pressed.

“I once threw a chair when intoxicated,” Thor stated.

Bucky rolled his eyes and pushed past Natasha and Clint so he could go grab more boxes from the lower floors of the tower. The Avengers had created a system for moving everyone’s stuff in.

Wanda used her powers to transport the boxes and bags out the cars into the lobby of the tower, and everyone else grabbed boxes from the pile and took them to the appropriate room.

Last Bucky checked, Tony had managed to steal a few interns from SI and paid them to move boxes after all of them sign a nondisclosure agreement. So at least the Avengers had more bodies to help them move Sam, Steve, Vision, and Wanda into the tower. Plus, Thor and Vision did not appear the least bit tired or bored by the the constant up and down between floors.

Bucky was almost out of the room when a knock on Wanda’s window caught his attention. He turned and there was Rhodey in his War Machine armor with three boxes.

Clint went over to the window and opened it. “Damn. You realize I just lost a bet because of you. I was sure Tony would be the first to get tired of the elevator and start delivering boxes via window.”

Rhodey’s face mask lifted, revealing his smiling face. He set down the three boxes inside the room. “He was.”

“Didn’t take a lot of convincing to get you join in, did it?” Natasha said, amused.

Rhodey playfully huffed in indignation. “We have four rooms to fill, and everyone is using the elevator. It’s time to start using the—”

Sam zoomed past Rhodey to the next floor, a bag of clothes in his hand.

“Son of a bitch,” Rhodey cursed and took off, soaring down to the ground to retrieve more boxes.

Bucky quirked an eyebrow at the exchange. “You think they’re competing?”

Clint and Natasha snorted, unimpressed by Bucky’s conclusion.

“Clearly.”

“Obviously.”

Bucky rolled his eyes and headed out of the room toward the elevator.

When Bucky reached the bottom of the tower, Steve was there with a box tucked under one arm and a bag slung over his shoulder. Steve beamed at Bucky and nodded at the pile of boxes. “Careful when you’re grabbing boxes. The air team might grab you by accident.”

Vision just then sailed into the room, grabbed a box, and took off out the door and up the tower.

Bucky clapped Steve on the shoulder, smiling at his best friend. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Steve and Bucky switched spots—Steve taking the elevator and Bucky braving the snatching zone for the air team.

Bucky could see Wanda through the glass doors at the bottom of the tower. She was smiling and laughing as she used her powers to fling a box at one of the air team members outside.

Happiness swelled in Bucky’s chest at her joy.

Bucky still had his moments and days when he couldn’t be around Wanda, as did Wanda when it came to Tony, but the three of them were working on their relationship. As Wanda and him had agreed over a month ago, it would take time for all of them get past their issues and develop a true team/pack bond.

While they still had their reservations about moving in together, they had realized that the only way they were going to overcome them at this point would be to take the plunge and see what would happen with them being housemates.

Wanda caught Bucky looking at her through the door, and smiled at him.

He smiled back.

Wanda aimed her hand at the door, opening it, and Tony in his Iron Man suit soared into the room.

He hovered over the pile of boxes, only to pause, fly toward Bucky, and land in front of his boyfriend.

Tony yanked off his helmet and grinned from ear to ear at Bucky. “You know what I like about having you help people move? It makes you work those muscles, so by the time you’re done helping everyone move your biceps are bulging and you’re glistening with sweat.”

Tony sighed wistfully. “It makes me think of other times when your muscles are on display and you’re sweating.”

Bucky chuckled and snaked an arm around Tony’s neck. He pulled Tony down for a kiss, keeping it short but with no less passion than if he had Tony alone. “I love you, you dork.”

“And I love you, wolfie.” Tony’s arm wrapped around Bucky’s waist and pulled Bucky in close. “Did I ever thank you by the way?”

“For what?” Bucky asked.

Tony gestured around them. “For this.”

“I think you made the Tower,” Bucky teased.

“But you filled it.”

“With some help,” Bucky argued. After all, Bucky may have encouraged everyone to move into the tower directly or indirectly, but Tony had done his best to make sure everyone was comfortable, and after that it was just a matter of teammates reaching out and making each other feel like everyone was family.

“You’re my favorite.” Tony kissed Bucky on the forehead.

“I know.” Bucky chuckled and pushed Tony away. “Now, get back to work. I refuse to be your distraction just so you can get away with taking an extra break.”

“But Bucky—” Tony whined.

Bucky laughed and yanked Tony down for one more kiss. “No whining, I believe in you.”

Tony exhaled in disappoint, but the glimmer in his eyes gave away his happiness.

Delight swelled in Bucky’s chest. He took a second to bask in the moment.

Everything felt right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and supporting. For those of you interested in any final thoughts on this story, please check out [this post on tumlbr](http://akira-of-the-twilight.tumblr.com/post/151996762943/cat-nipped-complete-final-thoughts). Otherwise, know that I appreciated all of your encouragement throughout the process of writing this fic, and I hope if you've gotten this far in the story that you enjoyed the fic.
> 
> Best wishes.

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't already, check out beir's artwork inspired by this fic [here](http://beir.tumblr.com/post/153746347998/inspired-by-akira-of-the-twilights-winteriron).

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Shifter's Language](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6668668) by [silver_drip](https://archiveofourown.org/users/silver_drip/pseuds/silver_drip)




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